Where No One Goes
by Frigyt
Summary: She never asked for any of this, but fate gave her a poor round of cards to play. Eventual Snake Eyes x OC. Begins in Retaliation.
1. Prologue: Into the Air

**Hello! Thanks for stopping by!**

**I'm crazy for writing two stories at once, but this will be a rather short story; I don't expect more than 15-20 chapters at most. It starts after the remaining Joes return with Roadblock to his old stomping grounds, and introduces you the the OC. Reviews are much appreciated, as there is once again, no beta reader, and my first time writing in the GI JOE verse. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Home sweet home for now for Cathrine Blac was a hollowed out air conditioning unit on top of an abandoned and crumbling three story building in the slums just outside the hubbub of Washington D.C. It was her first ever haunt, one that she had cleaned out and stayed in for at least four years when she had first been kicked out of her home. It was all cobwebs and dust, but the furniture she had lugged up the fire escape was still here, as well as some old clothes that, to no surprise, still fit.<p>

It's not that she wanted to return to D.C., she had been called back by some old pals. Growing up and around this neighborhood had never been easy, but her skill set had made life a little easier and found her a few friends for life. Whenever they needed a favor, she was always willing to help, even it took her two days to run to them. Stoop had called this time, and it had sounded urgent; that what led her back to the old stomping grounds.

Cathrine finished sorting through her backpack and slipped on some gear, her regular running tank and stretchy polyester pants, with her sturdy shoes finishing off the deal. Her smart phone and other essentials were strapped into her backpack in heavy padding, keeping them safe in case of a fall or a roll.

"Okay, here we go. Haven't seen Stoop in two years, but a favor is a favor. You made a promise, Cat," she murmured, giving herself a little pep talk before jumping and catching the edge of the opening to her hideout, pulling herself out to stand on top. The sun was starting to make its way over to the horizon, and Cat began her run, knowing she would be late if she didn't hurry. Stoop was on his usual corner, and she still remembered that it was four blocks away. She hopped on two feet before beginning to run, the edge of her rooftop coming up quickly. This was an easy leap, and she hit the next rooftop running. At this one she climbed a drainpipe to reach higher ground, before vaulting over a railing and rolling when she hit the next rooftop. The last few were so close together that they were mere skips to cross the gaps, but no doubt lethal if a misstep occurred. But she was sure footed, and Cat's trust in her feet never faltered as they carried her over buildings toward her destination.

She slowed to a walk, and then slid onto her belly and wiggled to the edge as she heard Stoop threatening someone. She wasn't a fighter, and was only half-assed on a firearm; her stealth and speed were her only weapons, and if this turned into an altercation, she'd be the first one out and the first one back with help. But Cat felt her stomach drop happily into her toes when she saw who Stoop was speaking with. She knew he couldn't be dead; the media was full of lies.

Scooting backwards, she stood back up and gave herself a running start, leaping from the building to Stoop's truck, landing in the bed of the truck and leaping over the side, before flinging herself at Roadblock, arms wrapping tightly around him in as big of a hug as she could give him.

"I knew you were alive, you stubborn bastard." Cat pulled away, smiling slightly. It was then she noticed the two Desert Eagles pointed at her, ans she jumped back behind Stoop so fast that his hair whooshed back from the wind.

"At ease, you two, come on, we established this." Roadblock fixed them with a look, and the weapons were put away, and Cat slunk back out cautiously.

"Sorry Block, she just... dropped out of the sky, literally." A young man spoke up from his left, shoving hands in his pockets.

Roadblock let out a loud laugh. "She does that. Flint, Lady Jaye, this is Cathrine Blac, codenamed Panther. She specializes in reconnaissance, speed and stealth."

"That's all though," Stoop spoke up from behind her, crossing his arms over his hulking chest. "Marvin, I called her back because I thought you would need her, don't you put her in the line of fire, you hear me?"

"I hear you, I hear you, Stoop. I've known her longer than you."

"I am still here, and I know my own limits." Cat stepped forward, offering a hand to Flint and Lady Jaye to shake, before turning back to Roadblock. "Nice to meet you both. What do you need me to do?"

"Panth, if you could scout the area, be our eyes and ears on the streets and the roof..." Cat held up a hand to Roadblock, stopping him.

"Say no more, Block." She ran to he fire escape, powering up it and pulling herself up onto the roof again before looking down and waving to the group. "Race you to your new Pit!"


	2. One: Down the Hatch

**Super short chapters, as promised! I like keeping them short, I can put out like two or three in a day. I'm trying to move this as fast as possible with and much detail as possible and keeping it close to the movie plot. They're may be some deviation later. :) Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>It was about eight o'clock and the streets were dark when Cat slipped into the new Pit through a smashed window, yanking back when her palm was scratched with some glass left on the window sill. She glanced at it quickly, determined it didn't need stitches, and wrapped her bandana around the cut to stem the blood.<p>

"Enough for a battle." She heard Roadblock from the other room, and quietly, she swung up into the metal rafters and cat walked across them, sitting down silently above the two males and simply watching. She looked at all of their ammo and, despite not knowing much about guns, she could even tell that the ammo was not enough for whatever their goal was.

"But not a war." Flint looked at Roadblock, eyes holding uncertainty, and he caught sight of Cat sitting on the beam. He jumped, hand twitching toward a pistol. Cat dropped down next to Roadblock, who didn't even flinch as her feet touched the floor.

"Area is clear; no suspicious faces found with CIRIS. I've mapped out six escape routes for you guys in case of an emergency, as well as made a copy of my sewer map and street view map." Cat dug the three tubes out of her backpack, handing them to Roadblock. He nodded his thanks and pulled the maps out to look at them. They were, as always, impeccably detailed, with little footnotes everywhere.

"CIRIS?" Flint looked at her curiously, eyes wary. "What in the world is that?"

Cat cracked her knuckles nervously, looking at Roadblock for help. Cat wasn't sure about Flint; if he gave even just one of her secrets away to the wrong people, it could jeopardize her and the ones who depended on her. Roadblock came to her aid, however, giving Flint a warning glance.

"If it was important, she would tell you. How's that?" Roadblock motioned him to a room were Lady Jaye was calling to them, and Cat adverted her eyes from Flint's curious gaze. She'd love to tell, but sometimes it just needed to be kept a very tight secret.

"Panth, you coming or did Flint scare you off?" Roadblock called, and she trotted after them, hanging behind Roadblock while Lady Jaye discussed her findings about the President.

"So," Cat piped up from the back, and immediately felt her ears turn read when they all looked at her. "The president is not...well, THE president?"

"Exactly. Well, I think so," Lady Jaye said, giving her a small smile, trying to ease her uncomfortable posture. Cat just shrunk back further, wanting to be running and free again on the rooftops. This was too long indoors. She was only ever inside this long if she was collecting a payment or if she was sleeping.

Roadblock must have felt her restlessness and turned to her. "Panth, ready for some reconnaissance?"

Cat glanced at him, shuffling a bit on her feet, before reaching down to retie her shoelaces. "Always. You name it."

"I need you to monitor the President from the inside. Can you get into the White House? See if there's anything related to an organization named COBRA?" He looked in her face as she stood back up, taking in her appearance. She was tired, anyone could tell from the bags under her eyes, but the spark and freedom she carried was constant and unwavering. Cat wasn't like that scrawny thing he had found stealing from him ten years ago, so close to death and starving.

"I'll be back tomorrow by midnight." There was a breeze as she ran from the room, vaulted over the table and shimmied out the window she had entered from, minding the glass. Dropping onto the street, she looked for the nearest manhole and glanced around to make sure she wasn't being watched. When she was sure the area was clear, she dropped into the hole and closed the cover back over her head. She turned her shoulder lamp on to alleviate some of the darkness and slid down the rest of the ladder, hitting the bottom in no time.

"Okay." She whispered to herself, pulling out her smart phone. She punched a few buttons and a holographic map lit up off to her side, an easy tracking system. She inputted which exit she wanted, and it gave her the fastest running route. Clipping her phone into the other shoulder harness on her backpack, she glanced at the route one last time before speeding off, a blinking red dot on her map keeping track of her progress.

"Just like a hundred times before Cat." She breathed to herself. A rat skittered by her feet. "A hundred times before. Except, you know, this could not be the actual president and may be an impostor hell bent on killing the world. Ha. Great. Just what kind of favor did you agree to?"


	3. Two: Thrown Away

**Ah yes, here's to fleshing out Cat more. She'll have a full back story later as we go, but here's a peek. CIRIS is also explained in this chapter. Enjoy, and make sure to let me know if you like it! :) **

* * *

><p>The Oval Office was a gold mine of information for Cat. When she had thoroughly encrypted her phone just like she was taught, and made herself comfortable in an air duct right above the president's desk, she activated CIRIS and watched it do its thing. Immediately two of the president's secret service agents were facially recognized and slid through countless databases. They came back with suspected relations to COBRA, and that would have had been enough evidence for the JOES.<p>

But the real treat was when the man himself walked into the office, simply sitting in his office chair, flipping through some papers. CIRIS scanned him, finding no facial errors, and asked if Cat wanted to delve deeper. She hit 'Yes' on her device and watched as it scanned his retina, checked his teeth, and analyzed his pheromones.

That was when the device caught a trace on the retina. It wasn't the same that CIRIS had in the system; the pattern was all different. What caught her attention was that the retina pattern was not recognized by CIRIS. That was impossible; CIRIS stood for Complete Identity Recognition Intelligence Software; it knew every person, could find any person in the world, and could track anything with a heartbeat. It was given as a gift to Cat after she performed a favor for possibly the most paranoid person on the planet.

This was the information she needed; it confirmed that the president was not who they thought. Her attention peaked again when a briefcase was brought in; she couldn't see much of it, but there looked to be some kind of symbol on it. She did her best to get a picture of it, storing it in her phone for later.

The Oval Office cleared out at about four P.M., and Cat made her way back to her entrance point, scooting ever so slowly through the air duct as to not make any sounds. She dropped into a lower duct and rolled to avoid injury, and traveled east, before dropping down again. She double checked her map, and confirmed her location, before unscrewing the vent cover carefully and slipping down into the trash room. She approached a trash can and lifted the bag out carefully, before squishing herself inside and replacing the bag. Trying to remain as calm as possible, even though her heart was hammering, she pulled out her smart phone and reorganized and encrypted the files, prepping them to be pulled out of the phone when she got back. When the trash can began to move she held her breath, trying to not make a sound.

They dropped the trashcans outside, and when she heard the back door shut, she scrambled out and slid along the wall to the manhole. Ever so carefully, she lifted it open and slid down, making sure to hack the motion sensors before she did so, and slid back down the ladder, herself and the information safe.

"Okay, okay, okay." She began running, her map popping up and tracking her location. It would be two hours before she reached the Pit. "You did everything right there Cat, no need to be afraid. Deep breaths, pound the pavement."

As her shoes fell into a steady one-two-three-four beat, her tense muscles loosened up and she herself relaxed, letting the freedom of her feet moving relieve her worries. Blocking out the smell of the sewer, she made fast time, only breaking to drink.

Two hours later she was peeking through the manhole, making sure the coast was clear before she zoomed out, jumping through the broken window and rolling on the floor, cutting her hand once again. She ignored it and moved toward the main room, sneaking around the corner to where the rest of the JOEs sat.

"You have to see this," Cat breathed out in a rush, whipping out her smart phone. She clicked into her saved files and brought the holographic up, spreading out her data. She let the JOEs sift through it themselves, answering questions as they popped up.

"Your president is not your president," Cat confirmed. "But CIRIS can't tell who he is. That's extremely unusual. Find out who it is, you discover who called the strike on the JOEs and who has a vendetta this month against the world."

"We're already on it, Panther. Flint wasn't sure in your abilities, so we compromised with a back up plan." Roadblock gave his brother a look that was only slightly condescending. Flint couldn't look her in the eye, instead focusing on chewing his food very fine and staring at it.

"Oh." The sound came out very squeaky, and Cat felt her ears flame red. Always being doubted, that was the back story of her whole life. It followed her wherever she went. She grabbed her phone and it shut off the hologram, before stuffing it in her bag carefully. She stood once she was ready, slinging it over her back. "I should get going, get some sleep, yeah. Do you need me tomorrow Block?"

"1900 tomorrow, just so I can go over the plan with you." He was now glaring at Flint.

"Why don't you sit and eat Panther, you look hungry—" Jaye tried, gesturing at all the food, but Cat cut her off.

"No thank you, Lady Jaye. 1900 tomorrow, see you all." Cat went zipping out of the room, and the three of them watched her silhouette on the adjacent rooftop before it disappeared from a drop. It was quiet before Flint tried to break it.

"Block, I'm sorry, I should have-"

"Save it, Flint." The words came out cold as he swept from the table, dropping dishes in the trash. He turned and pointed a finger right at Flint's chest. "Besides, I'm not the one you should be apologizing to."


	4. Three: Problem

**Thanks for the favorites, follows, and review guys! Snake Eyes and the ninjas are finally here! Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>"Jaye, keep your head down. Be safe." There was a pause over the comms in Cat's ear from Flint's voice, before he addressed her directly. "You too, Panther."<p>

"Yeah, thanks," Cat stuttered, surprised. She was currently sliding down a drain pipe and entering the venue via the back stairs, the same stairs Lady Jaye was going to be exiting if the plan worked. She ran up the stairs to the third floor, and then slung her backpack off her back. Opening it quickly, she pulled out the sealant for the door and hunkered down, listening through Lady Jaye's earpiece. She waited for the signal and crouched in the corner, listening for Jaye's footsteps.

A half hour later, Jaye bursts through the door, and Cat slammed it shut, spraying the sealant over the door. Lady Jaye took off her heels and the two women ran down the stairs, Cat jumping down the flights in order to scout ahead while Jaye reported in to Roadblock.

"He's heading out the front. You've only got one shot, Roadblock," Jaye breathed, hand to her earpiece as she followed after Cat.

Roadblock's voice came over loud and clear. "One in the chamber."

Cat waited for Lady Jaye to join her at the ground floor door before peeking outside, checking to make sure the coast was clear. As planned, Flint saw her and flashed the high beams on the truck, giving them the all clear. Cat hustled Jaye to the truck before scaling the brick wall of the alley, wall-running up and hoisting up on ledges and leaping clear for the roof.

"I've got eyes on," Cat reported, leaping over a gap and scaling a small water tower.

An explosion rocked the water tower, and Cat gasped, riding out the shock wave as the structure rocked back in forth. When she stabilized, There was a charred wall where the explosion had been, and Flint was screaming for Roadblock. Cat's heart dropped to her toes as she ran to the edge, trying to see.

Roadblock busted out of a side door, looking beaten and broken, with a man in a baklava standing over him. Cat began to run the roof, trying to get closer. Smoothly she jumped onto a lower ledge and rolled, landing on her stomach and scooting to the edge, just in time to see Flint ram the assailant and send him flying. Cat scrambled up and made an improvised leap, landing in the truck bed and crouching down, out of sight. She felt the car ram into reverse as Flint tried to ram the man again, but only succeeded in hitting another car and giving Cat a mini heart attack.

Roadblock stumbled into the car, confirming he was okay to the group before Flint sped off towards the Pit, Cat laying low in the truck bed until Roadblock gave her a pained "all-clear." She jumped out and slung one of Roadblock's arms over her shoulders.

"Who was that?" She whispered, trying to not draw attention to them from Jaye and Flint.

"Firefly." Roadblock eased into a seat, grunting as he hit the base of the chair. "He's working with someone called Cobra Commander."

Cat's blood ran cold, but she tried to keep her face impassive. "That's the bad guy?"

"The ultimate bad guy," Roadblock confirmed, smiling slightly despite everything. That's how they always used to play when they were younger. They used to pretend to be superheros and fight villains, and the final villain they always fought at the end of the day was the "ultimate bad guy."

"Huh." Cat left the conversation hanging as she shuffled her feet, then untied and retied her running shoes. Roadblock watched her, wondering if he should ask what was bugging her, but decided against it. If she wanted to tell him, he had faith in her that she would.

Flint and Lady Jaye came back, changed and refreshed, and Roadblock grabbed the leftover Chinese food and they all began to eat. Cat stood awkwardly, rubbing her arm, not really knowing what to do. She wasn't part of this family, this merry group of three; she was an outsider, and although Roadblock was her friend, she was still a stranger to his world.

"Um, well then, if I'm not needed-" Cat began, but was cut off with CIRIS going ballistic in her side shoulder case. She tapped the screen and it alerted her to three unrecognized incoming heat signatures. Her eyes widened and she turned the map in the air, showing the JOEs eating at the table. They all stopped to listen, and Cat did too; she could just faintly hear the sound of footsteps incoming.

"Guys, move." The JOEs all spread out, going to entrances. Cat panicked, not knowing where to go. She couldn't leave, and couldn't escape underground, so all that was left was to go up. She spring boarded up from the table and caught one of the highest beams, cat walking across it to where Roadblock was covering, and hopped up onto a higher beam and laid down on it, balancing her entire body and focusing on staying quiet and covered. It was extremely dark up here and filled with cobwebs, and Cat found it completely to her liking.

Cat had to press her face into the beam to keep steady, but when Roadblock's voice rang out in an address, she looked up slightly. There were three ninjas in the room, all making peace with the JOEs until Flint walked out with one he wasn't entirely happy to see. At this point, it was clear they were friend and not foe, so Cat sat on the beam instead of laying on it, watching the group below quietly, until CIRIS began to vibrate again. This time, it was picking up unfamiliar transmission, and Cat began to sweat. She knew what that meant; there was a tracking device in here somewhere.

She commanded CIRIS to scan the area around the Pit as she hung from the bar, and swung down to the lower beam before swinging onto the table, landing heavily. The three ninjas all spun around, swords unsheathed and ready. From up high they hadn't looked this fierce, but right now, Cat couldn't worry about that.

"Lady Jaye," Cat said, starting toward the woman until two blades crossed in front of her, one from the female ninja and the black clad one. Immediately Cat rolled backwards, back pedaling quickly with her hands up.

"Snake, it's okay, she's an old friend," Roadblock stepped in, pushing down the blades.

"She just dropped out of nowhere!" Jinx said, sheathing her blade. The black clad ninja didn't.

"She does that," Roadblock joked, laughing, but Cat wasn't having it. There was danger approaching.

"Now is not the time for jokes!"She yelled, pushing through the crowd. Roadblock quieted immediately, watching Cat. She only ever got loud if the need arose.

"Lady Jaye, where is your dress?" Cat questioned, hand beginning to run through her hair. Jaye looked at her, curious.

"In the makeshift lounge, why?" Lady Jaye blinked as Cat zoomed away, toward the area. She found the red dress and brought out CIRIS, and scanned it with the sensors until it detected the tracker. Cat ripped it off the dress, examining it to see if CIRIS could block the signal.

"No good," Cat whispered to herself. "This is no good."

Cat ran back out of the room, throwing the tracker at Roadblock. He looked at it with wide eyes, and Flint and Lady Jaye paled.

"Zartan must have planted it," Flint spoke, rubbing at his eyes. Cat was about to respond about how amateur this was, especially from elite soldiers, when CIRIS lit up again. There were unrecognized faces and heat signatures, and they were closing in fast.

"What do we do, there's to many to fight!" Jinx hissed, hand on her sword. The black ninja twirled his blades before taking a stance. Cat pulled up her holographic map, mind running through routes and plans. The safest plan now was route 4, but only if they moved quickly. Six people running couldn't move quick, but one could.

"Take escape route four, Block. I'll be the decoy," Cat started, snatching the tracker from his hand and placing it on her backpack. "You'll see an air conditioning unit abandoned on the factory roof on Juniper street. Hole up there until I swing by and say the coast is clear. Grab everything you need and get out of here."

"Woah, woah, Panther, what do you think you're doing?" He started after her, fully intending to not loose any more allies in this fight. But she was already shimmying out the window, not even flinching as her hands were cut up. She rolled her eyes at him.

"Isn't it obvious, Block? I'm running."


	5. Four: Integration

**Just what is CIRIS? ;)**

**Thanks for the faves, follows and reviews (you rock Guest!) Hope you enjoy this one! **

* * *

><p>"Panther, get your ass back to the Pit, we'll figure this out together!" Roadblock growled over the comms, and Cat rolled her eyes. This was the fourth time he pushed her to come back.<p>

"Block, escape route four, go now. I can see the lights following me, but they might leave some officers behind. Go, come on!" Cat argued, using a rope to swing across a gap.

"Cat, you don't know who you're dealing with, these guys are-" Block tried to get her come back, but in the middle of his sentence the comms link shut off. She must have turned it off, he figured, and he slammed his fist into the wall. "Of all the irresponsible things she has ever done!"

"Block, come on," Flint tried, shouldering a back pack filled with provisions. "She's given us a chance."

Snake Eyes silently put a hand on his friend's shoulder, motioning toward the window and pointing at himself. He would go with her, lead them off with her. Roadblock nodded, and Snake Eyes followed Cat's path, through the window and up on the roof. He scanned the area and saw her shadow drop down about five blocks ahead of his position. He took off running, impressed she had already gotten that far.

"I don't know what I'm dealing with, ha!" Cat scoffed, spring boarding up onto a ledge. A bullet whizzed past her head, and she didn't even flinch. "He doesn't know what happened, he doesn't even know!"

CIRIS beeped out a warning then; there was a new heat signature coming after her, this one faster than the rest, and the face couldn't be scanned. Her heart rate picked up rapidly, situations running through her mind. It had to be a Neo-viper, those were the only things in the lab that ever came close to catching her, and they could morph their faces at will. She picked up her pace, getting ready to put distance behind her.

"Think you can catch me, COBRA?" She breathed, opening an app on her smart phone. She punched in commands and hovered her finger over the 'Yes' button. "I'd like to see you try, just like all the other times!"

She punched the screen, and Cat became CIRIS; she could see the whole world, analyze faces quickly, and find the fastest routes all through her eyes. It all zoomed by her as her brain went on autopilot, her legs pounding and breathing becoming regulated by CIRIS. CIRIS was her strongest weapon, her first line of defense, and her last resort.

The HUD in her eye bleeped again, warning her that her pursuer was coming closer. She pushed harder, reorganizing her course and flying across the rooftops, her main priority was to escape the blip that was getting exceedingly closer. She was so focused on how the dot was only ten feet from her position that she didn't even hear the sniper rifle go off.

She did, however, notice the katana that slammed into the brick wall next to her head, slicing a bullet in half and away from her head before she was tackled to the ground and pulled under cover. Cat came face to mask with the black ninja, who simply put a finger to his lips before glancing over their cover. CIRIS and Cat were furiously scanning everything on the ninja, flashing what little information it obtained on the ninja on the HUD in her eyes. It wasn't much, but it did show his projected top speed, and Cat filed that for later.

"I don't, who, what," she stuttered, searching the black mask but gaining no answers. The ninja did nothing to help ease her confusion, instead gently stopped her flailing and checked the area for the sniper. He was gone. Snake Eyes carefully let her up, and Cat immediately jumped away, posture tense and ready to bolt. Doing his best to reassure her, he tried to look nonthreatening, even pulling his katana out of the wall and sheathing it.

It was tense silence for minutes, Cat poised to run and Snake Eyes trying to silently reassure her that he was no threat. Slowly, Cat deactivated CIRIS from her nervous system, the HUD in her eyes and the all encompassing information leaving her brain. "You're, um, Roadblock's friend, right?"

The ninja nodded, taking a cautious step towards her. Cat nodded at him, holding out her hand to shake. "It's okay, you just startled me. I was...in the zone."

That was a little lie, Cat knew, but this was a new person who she didn't know at all. She thought it was acceptable. Nevertheless, he nodded at her, and made a few motions with his hands.

"Um." Cat was at a loss. He realized that she couldn't understand, and stopped, crossing his arms. Cat gave him a side glance, awkwardly bring up her map and coughing to appease the silence. Her eyes widened. She was twenty miles out, and she had beaten her own time. Whether she was learning how to control CIRIS better or it was taking over more of her was still a mystery. She hoped it was the former.

"I didn't realize how far out I went." Cat said, rubbing her arm. "Did you follow me the entire time?"

He nodded, and Cat felt even worse. "I'm sorry. Sometimes I just run and I-"

Cat's world spun, and one hand shot out to the wall, trying to steady herself. Feeling something wet drip down her face, Cat rubbed underneath her nose to find blood, and she felt her stomach churn. The ninja next to her as she dropped to all fours, heaving up the little energy bar she had eaten. Snake Eyes placed his hand on the woman's back, concerned; Roadblock hadn't mentioned any medical issues.

"I'm fine, fine, yeah, I'm fine." It sounded like she was trying to reassure herself more so than Snake Eyes. Her nose was still bleeding as she looked up, but she pulled herself up using the wall and leaned against it, eyes closed.

A moment passed before her eyes reopened, and took shaky steps toward him. Cat puffed air out of mouth, blowing out the blood. "Come on, we have to get back to the vent or they'll be worried."

Cat grabbed the tracker off her backpack and flung it, letting it rest somewhere. The sirens had long stopped, but just in case they decided to pick up the search later. Snake Eyes followed her carefully, but didn't reach out a hand to help; this woman was untrusting, and he had to be careful. Roadblock was depending on him to bring her home, and if she bolted again in the state she was in, she might not make it home.

"Well," Cat picked up a light jog, ignoring her spinning head and her still bleeding nose. "Let's get going, yeah?"


	6. Five: Riptide

**Oh goodness, you like it, you all really like it! :)**

**Enjoy the next chapter; this is a teeny filler before we hit the big battle and more drama. It's hard for me to write fillers, as I'm all about action, but without certain things being brought up and questioned, Cat's a very 2D character, I think. **

**So anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Cat dropped into the vent right after Snake Eyes, who had written his name down on a piece of paper once it was understood she didn't know sign language, but staggered when her legs hit the floor, a move that usually would have been nothing for her. Snake Eyes reached for her arm, trying to steady her, but Cat dropped down to one knee, both hands splayed on the floor, breathing heavily through her blood crusted nostrils.<p>

"Cat!" Roadblock rushed over, kneeling next to her. He took one look at her bloody face and her labored breaths and turned to look at Snake Eyes, eyes ablaze. "What the hell happened Snake, I said look after her, not bring her back bloodied!"

Snake Eyes signed quickly, explaining he himself wasn't quite sure what had happened. Roadblock grabbed Cat by the shoulders and she looked up at him, lethargic and tired. He shook her a little as her head rolled to the side. "Cat, come on, talk to me."

"M'tired," she mumbled, trying to make her way to the ratty couch in the corner. Her guests had taken the mattresses she had set up around the space. She collapsed on it and almost immediately fell asleep, the blood loss and nausea finally getting to her.

Lady Jaye silently took out a water bottle and a rag, and gently began to clean the woman's face of dried blood, with CIRIS beeping lowly in warning, but Cat didn't stir. She was sleeping deeply, not to be bothered by Lady Jaye or her phone.

Snake Eyes tapped Roadblock on the shoulder to sign a question. 'Just what is the purpose of her phone?'

Roadblock sighed, rolling his shoulders and rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I'm not sure, Snake, that's new. She didn't used to be such a tech junkie, but then again, I haven't seen her in almost five years."

"There, she should should be able to breathe easier," Lady Jaye stated, rocking back on her heels and standing up. "She just needs rest. And something to eat, as well."

They sorted the remaining individuals into watches, with two hour intervals. Although Roadblock was certain that the vent was a safe place to be, there was no harm in being careful. Storm Shadow took the first watch and slipped outside the vent, while the others settled in.

But Roadblock had a hard time sleeping. Snake Eyes was onto something; when did Cat become so into technology? Sure, he hadn't questioned it before due to the urgency of his mission, and it had helped him and his team escape and find answers...

A wave of guilt crashed over him. He'd been so concerned with his self appointed mission that he hadn't been looking out for Cat like he should have, and should have been wary of the signs with her new and extremely expensive tech. Where could she have gotten something like that?

He fell into a fistful sleep, already awake when Jinx tapped him for his watch. The sun was climbing the horizon as he scooted out of the vent. He seated himself, and watched the sun rise, thinking over the battle plan for the day.

"You didn't go over the plan with me, Block," Cat said, hopping up next to him. CIRIS had vibrated when she had received the maximum amount of sleep needed, so she woke up to talk to Roadblock and eat something. She munched on a stale granola bar as he slid his eyes over to her.

"Where did you get your phone, and that tech, Cat?" He asked, voice rumbling unhappily in his chest. She felt her stomach drop to her toes, but she kept a brave face.

"To put it in terms you understand, soldier boy; it's classified." Cat began to swing her legs back and forth over the edge of the vent. Roadblock slammed his hand down on the metal. Cat remained unfazed, watching the sun. "It's on a need to know basis, and right now, you don't need to know."

Cat's guests began to stir as the sun fully overcame the horizon, and she stood herself, popping her back and all her joints. Roadblock watched her, concerned as how he could count her ribs though her tank top. Shrugging, she offered him a hand, and said, "So, what's the plan?"

He sighed and stood with her help, explaining that they would crash at General Colton's house and flesh out the plan fully before the assault tomorrow. Cat rolled her eyes, flipping back inside the vent to gather an extra pair of clothes, these stealthier than her current pair. Saying good morning to the rest of the team quietly, she shoved her things into her backpack and scooted back outside into the open air, when she belonged and thrived.

One by one they climbed out of her little hole in the wall, and Flint jingled the keys. "We're taking the truck to Colton's. We may need it."

"I'll take the roofs," Cat said. "I'll watch for anyone tailing you."

It was like the state she had been in six hours ago was totally pushed from her mind, and before anyone could stop her, she was leaping rooftops and zipping across clotheslines. Roadblock sighed and rubbed his eyes, motioning for everyone to follow him down the fire escape, as he tried to push the annoying questions about his old friend out of his mind and focus on the mission.

Snake Eyes followed Cat until she was out of sight, and then met the ground team on the pavement. He signed to Roadblock. 'You're worried over her.'

Roadblock sighed, opening the passenger door and hopping in. "Always having answers but leaving questions in her wake; that's how Panther has always been and I'm afraid she'll never stop. Come on, Snake, we're Oscar Mike."


	7. Six: Modern Warfare

**I wish I was a regular updater for you guys but by now it's just a habit to be sporadic. :(**

**Cat's a big ol' ball of worms, ain't she? :)**

**Enjoy the chapter; action next, then drama! **

* * *

><p>Sitting on General Colton's roof, Cat had one arm looped around knees that were pulled to her chest, and fiddled with her phone in her other hand. She was rerunning her credentials and passwords, making sure they were secure. Roadblock was getting suspicious, and she couldn't have him searching CIRIS and finding out what it was. A roaring engine caught her attention and she looked out from behind the chimney, watching the remaining GI JOEs roll up in Stoop's truck.<p>

"Where is she?" Cat heard Flint ask, hand over his eyes as he looked around. Cat ducked back behind the chimney, proceeding to crawl to the edge and use the lattice to descend. "Did we beat her?"

"Honestly, it's not a race, Flint," Lady Jaye chided from the front of the house, as Cat looped behind some bushes the neighbors had. She made it to the tree in the yard without being seen, and she scaled the branches to the one overhanging on Flint's head. He was so preoccupied with looking for her that he didn't notice that her weight had lowered the branch enough that Cat could whisper to him.

"I'm still faster," She said simply, and Flint gave out a yell, hand flying to the back of his jeans. His yell alerted the others, katanas were unsheathed, and Cat rethought her plan as she backtracked back into the thicker leaves, nervous now.

"Man, Panth," Roadblock scoffed, releasing his tight hold on his gun. "Don't do that. Everyone relax. Panther get the hell down here."

Quietly she descended, slinking behind Jinx, feeling like she was being scolded. It happened often; she would attempt to have fun and either reprimanded or yelled at. She was beginning to not want to be here anymore.

"Sorry," she murmured to no one in particular. Not that anyone seemed to be listening; the soldiers were already in the house, and Storm Shadow and Jinx following. Only Snake Eyes was close to her, and he gave no inclination of hearing. Cat sighed and moved inside the house, her anxiety at being inside rising significantly. Sticking to the walls, she watched everyone stock up on weapons, coming to rest near Storm Shadow and the window, in case a quick escape was needed.

Cat felt eyes on her person and she crossed her arms, adverting her eyes and looking outside. It didn't deter the owner.

"You look familiar," Storm Shadow drawled quietly, low enough that no others could hear with the commotion in the rooms. "Hello, Number Four."

Cat froze, her heart beginning to beat rapidly as CIRIS worked furiously to contain her adrenaline levels. It had activated itself as a result of the too-high levels, and the HUD blinked on in her eyes, analyzing Storm Shadow, giving her escape routes, and providing information on all the weapons and people in the room. It was little comfort that CIRIS believed she could outrun him. Storm Shadow watched her reaction carefully.

"I see. So your inhibitor is stronger than COBRAs activator; impressive." He settled himself back against the wall, arms crossed in a lax fashion and katana sheathed and between them. "Not that I particularly care anymore."

Now she really didn't want to be here anymore. Minute by minute, it looked like Cat was going to more involved than she originally thought, and she was becoming scared. She couldn't risk a run in with Cobra Commander; if Storm Shadow, who wasn't even heavily involved with her experiment, could recognize her, there was no way the Commander had forgotten his success story. Cat scurried across the room, away from Storm Shadow and toward Snake Eyes, who was admiring a set of automatic pistols. She kept a wary eye on Storm Shadow while also watching the others and having CIRIS scan the area constantly.

Snake Eyes glanced up at Cat as moved behind him, glancing at her quickly before her attention was once again pulled back. There were lights moving swiftly across her eyes; he couldn't tell what they were, as they were too tiny, but Snake Eyes noticed her smart phone had lit up also. It was running a black screen with green binary code, never stopping and constantly on the screen. As soon as he had seen it, however, it disappeared as Cat blinked, but she didn't take her eyes off of Storm Shadow. Behind his mask, Snake Eyes narrowed his gaze.

When Cat left to room to find Roadblock and get her orders, Snake Eyes walked close to Storm Shadow, who raised an eyebrow in feigned interest.

"What?" He hissed. Snake Eyes gestured toward where Cat had just exited, and Storm Shadow hummed in response.

"You have no idea who she is, do you, brother?" The last word came with venom, as his eyes narrowed and he shifted his weight. Snake Eyes shook his head, not liking the feeling beginning to pit in his stomach. Storm Shadow scoffed, watching the GI JOE's allies begin to arrive to plan the battle strategy. "She is the success story from COBRA's Project: Runner. Number Four was her designation, and she was the only success from the project. But you knew that, correct?"

The still form of Snake Eyes made Storm Shadow grin teasingly, his mouth moving to form the smile slowly and lecherously. It gave him his answer. "Don't feel bad, brother. She doesn't really exist, anyway. She's a ghost, and that's all she ever will be."


	8. Seven: Things Don't Fade

**I hope this is okay; this plot is like water, as it keep changing and evolving into new shapes.**

**Action next, and the big fight scene!**

* * *

><p>Snake Eyes made it a point to stop Roadblock after the meeting room had completely cleared of the other members of their assault team. He was still mulling over Storm Shadow's words, and they were bothering him the entire night.<p>

'We need to talk about Cat, Roadblock.' He signed to his friend, leaning against the wall. Roadblock gave a sigh of weariness, plopping down in a chair the General had placed in the room for the meeting. Roadblock didn't want to admit it, but he was worried too. His old friend was hiding things from him; big things, and the worst part of it was that he couldn't find any information on her, at all. The General had given him access to his CIA contacts, and out of curiosity, he did a check on Cat.

Only to discover that Cathrine Blac did not exist.

At first, he could see why; she had grown up on the streets, living in boxes and stealing to survive. But he knew that Cat had had a stint in some foster homes when she was about 12 years old, because that was how they had met; they had been in the same home. The CIA couldn't find any record of it, anywhere. Cat had turned into a literal ghost.

"I... am as concerned as you are, Snake Eyes. She should have something on her, but she's been wiped completely from the system." Roadblock rubbed a hand over his face.

"You need better contacts." A folder slapped down on the table, Storm Shadow coming to stand in the room, but still aloof from the others as he crossed his arms. "I pulled strings and got you her file from COBRA."

Roadblock shot up from the seat and grabbed the front of Storm Shadow's jacket, face turning red in an instant. He put his face extremely close to the ninja's and gritted out, "Why does COBRA have a file on HER?!"

Snake Eyes placed a warning hand on Roadblock's shoulder as Storm Shadow barked a laugh at him. "Why don't you read it and find out why?"

The GI JOE leader stared down the ninja for another heartbeat before releasing him harshly with a push against the table. He placed his hand on the file for a split second, breathed out, and opened it. The first thing to greet him was Cat's face, but not a mugshot. These were all action shots, taken as she was stealing, or running, or hiding. They were dated back ten years; COBRA had been following her since she was fifteen. Then came her mug shot, at seventeen years old, where she looked frightened as she gazed right into the camera.

Project: Runner notes came next, detailing the purpose of the experiments; build better reconnaissance and spy units for COBRA by using a mental activator that could increase performance almost 110%. This was done using an experimental neural activator, that allowed for increased levels of adrenaline to be released when needed, and increased cognitive activity, allowing more parts of the brain to process at once to allow for more complete thinking and better memory.

Next came experiment notes, photos, and the fates of what happened to Number One, Two, and Three. One had lost all neural control of his body and had to be "forcibly disposed of;" Roadblock assumed that meant killed. Two had originally be marked as a success, but as the days after the experiment wore on, he became less and less stable until he killed himself. Three was still alive, but at the cost of cognitive function. He was surprisingly at the Walter Reed Hospital in D.C.

Cat, or Four as she was called in her file, was the only success. There were photos and documentation to how she first reacted to the procedure, and they made Roadblock's stomach churn. She looked terrified in each picture, as the serum was forcibly injected into her brain with no anesthesia, as the report noted. Pain, fear, each emotion ruined Roadblock. They had been scouting her for years, and he hadn't noticed, even when he had swore to always look out for her. They had taken her away and experimented with her for years, until the file noted she had escaped six years ago. He hadn't even known.

There was silence as Roadblock handed the file to Snake Eyes, who read it quickly, his stomach clenching. This explained so much, but left more questions. What was this CIRIS she kept referring to? How had she escaped? Was COBRA still after her? Was she a liability to the team?

Storm Shadow took out a lighter and burned everything in the file, opening a window and letting the ash float out. Roadblock put his head in his hands. He had known something was wrong, and he never caught the signs.

"Thank you Storm," he muttered, pressing the heels of his palms into his eyes. The white ninja nodded and left the room quietly. Snake Eyes shifted taking in the information and trying to get the gruesome pictures out of his head. Roadblock mumbled from behind his hands. "I have to figure out what to do with her."

'You need to talk to her,' Snake signed, after getting his friend to look at him.

"And you know what she'll do when I try, Snake? She'll run away, because that's all she ever does is run. Now I know why. Hell, I'd run too if COBRA had shot me up with some crazy shit," He sighed, turning around and almost had a heart attack. Cat was sitting on the ledge, head hanging down, like she had just been scolded.

"I'm not running now, Block." She looked him in the eye, and he noticed they were hard and serious. "You weren't suppose to find out. Neither were you, Snake Eyes. I suggest you forget what you know; there are ways COBRA can extract that intel."

Ruefully she smiled. "I should know. Intel day always hurt."

"Cat-" Roadblock tried, but she had already jumped outside, away from his reach.

"You're in serious danger now, Block. I'll go through with your plan, because a favor's a favor, but then I'm gone; and you'd do yourselves if you erased me from memory."


	9. Eight: Icarus

**Action! What more could we want? :)**

**After this chapter we will start to deviate from the movie and it will become my own plot. That means more bonding time, more character background. **

**WARNING; Mild gore ahead. Not something that I think needs rated M. **

* * *

><p>"Foxtrot, you are good to go." That was Cat's signal, and she launched herself out from behind Echo Team's cover and ran along the bridge, gaining better visuals as she went. CIRIS and her nervous system had long since merged; she was monitoring her vitals on the HUD. So far, there was no indication that she would give out anytime soon, but she wanted to be prepared.<p>

Her role in this was simple; take the best vantage point she could safely get, and provide eyes for the team. That was what she did best; she wasn't much of a fighter like Jinx, or a good aim like Lady Jaye. Cat was reconnaissance and spying.

That reminded her of last night, as she scooted down the bridge side to stand on an outcrop. Just thinking about it made her nerves pick up, which, thanks to CIRIS, were calmed again in seconds. But CIRIS couldn't stop the thoughts though; she was so worried that something would happen to the others now that they truly knew what had happened to her, why she dropped off the grid, why she had CIRIS. She couldn't stay around them, just like all her other friends, she realized with a heavy heart. They would be in danger, and she refused to allow them to be hurt of her own accord.

Her thoughts were cut short when CIRIS blinked a warning in her HUD, and she turned to see two things at once; an incoming COBRA helicopter landing on the shore, and the man of the hour himself, Cobra Commander. Memories of the experiments flashed in her mind, the pain, the torture, the screams of Number Three slowly loosing his mind each night and of Number Two sobbing in the background.

This man was evil. She knew that. He was escaping. She knew that as well; Snake Eyes and Flint weren't even on the scene yet.

But Cat was fast, she had CIRIS and it calculated that if she left within the next 10.4 seconds, she would be able to catch up to Cobra Commander and maybe make a difference for once. She wouldn't be running away this time; she'd be running toward the fight. She had to make a decision; let this man escape, or try to do something about it. Bunching her leg muscles, she closed her eyes, breathed out, and leaped.

Hitting the ground with a roll, she sprung out of it and locked in on the Commander's retreating back, who had almost reached the helicopter. CIRIS gave her about 30 seconds to reached him, and she sprinted for all she was worth. It felt like she was flying; being used to rooftops and alleys that stopped short, the chance to stretch her legs and run as fast as she could felt amazing.

CIRIS gave a beep, alerting her to two new faces on scene, and they were identified as Flint and Snake Eyes. She ignored them, almost to the helicopter now, pushing her limits and counting her pace in her head.

One, Two, Three, Four... each foot matched with the face of the other Project: Runner victims, and she thought of Jack, and Selene, and Diego, and finally of her. It took them four tries to perfect the formula, four lives forever changed for no reason than besides evil and domination. Cat would show COBRA just who had become stronger in the end.

Commander had stepped inside the copter and it had started to lift off when Cat made a giant leap and caught the foot rail, ignoring Flint yelling at her over the comms and Snake Eyes running for her. Cat pulled herself up onto the ledge, and with her momentum, she flung out a leg in an inexperienced kick to the Commander's back. It did the trick; he stumbled to the other edge of the open copter, grabbing the side to stop him from falling out. His head whipped around and Cat felt her stomach plummet as she once again looked into the mirror mask. Bravely she took up a fighting stance she had seen Snake Eyes use in practice, trying to make it look like she knew what she was doing.

"Well, well," the gravelly voice said from behind the mask, and he stood, the chopper beginning to go over the water after the pilot was told to continue. "You did survive. I thought the Siberian winter had claimed your life, Number Four. Come to grovel forgiveness?"

Cat launched herself at him, throwing a punch and a kick, neither doing much damage as the Commander blocked them all. She danced back out of the way of a push but caught a punch the the jaw, the force jarring her and sending her to the ground of the copter. Commander grabbed her by her hair and dragged her to edge of the copter, snarling as he spoke. "You never were a good fighter, Four. We added that in with Five and Six, but unfortunately they perished. Sadly, for you, you'll never meet Seven. Our true success story, unlike you."

"Screw you," Cat ground out, spitting on his boot. Commander slammed her face back into the metal, and she felt her nose break, blood spilling out. CIRIS alerted her to the damage as well, but she ignored it as Cobra Commander forcibly spun her around, so that her calves were hanging out of the copter. Cat tried to pull them back in, but he had her pinned too tightly.

"I'll make so you never so much as crawl again, do you hear me, Four?" Cobra Commander hissed, digging his knee into her back. He made a motion to the pilot, and the copter stopped, hovering in midair. Cat was able to turn her head and witness the copter's afterburners begin to rotate toward her legs, and before she could do anything, they activated, spewing flaming nitrogen.

Cat felt the bottom half of her legs disintegrate, and she managed to let out an agonizing scream, before CIRIS responded rapidly and began to shut off as many pain sensors as it could, trying to keep Cat functioning. She was just barley aware when the Cobra Commander leaned down next to her ear, and she could hear the sneer in his voice. "I hereby deem your experiment a failure, and relieve you from duty, Number Four."

And then she was falling, looking at the man she hated most walking back inside the helicopter after he shoved her out. Vaguely she heard Flint screaming, Roadblock yelling at her to respond, but all she kept staring at was her now missing feet and calves. They were gone, burnt to incineration, nothing but cauterized stumps that were still smoking.

Cat hit the salty sea water, and her world went dark, CIRIS beeping at her frantically as her body slowly floated to the top of the waves.

Flint was horrified. He knew Cobra Commander was evil, but never had he witnessed anything like that. He couldn't even respond to Roadblock, who was ordering him to tell him what happened. He turned to Snake Eyes to figure out what to do, but the ninja was already running toward the water, dropping weapons and swords as he plunged into the waves, free styling through the current with determination. He grabbed Cat's motionless body and swam back to shore, placing her on the sand and began to check vitals. She still had a pulse, and her breathes were extremely faint, but she was alive. Snake looked down at her missing legs and shook his head. Cat had tried to take on more than she could, and he didn't know if she would ever recover from it.


	10. Nine: Last Hope

**You're all really quiet about the last chapter. I hope I didn't scare you. I'm a mean author to my OCs. **

**However, I can now start adding more SExCat now that general introductions are out of the way. **

**I just wanted to say that this story has over 1,300 hits so far and I can't believe it. Thanks so much you guys! Make sure to let me know what you like about the story! I'm friendly I promise! **

* * *

><p>Cat awoke with a start, her hands flying to feel for her for the parts of her legs that were no longer there. Nothing but flat sheets and air. Cat felt her stomach drop into her stomach, and her eyes welled up with tears. She had been a fool, taken a risk she should have never taken. What the hell was she thinking? She wasn't a fighter, she was a runner, and she should have never initiated a pathetic excuse for combat with Cobra Commander of all people. She had acted on impulse, something she hadn't done in over twelve years. Cat knew better than that.<p>

In the darkness of her hospital room, she simply cried.

It took an hour for Cat to get her sobs to quiet down, and she simply laid in her bed, blinking as she turned her head. She could see the Washington Monument from her window, and she sniffled and looked at her armband. To her surprise, she was in Walter Reed.

Cat wondered why she was there; she wasn't a soldier, and to the JOES, she must have been extra baggage after she lost her legs. She wondered who fished her out of the water and who dragged her sorry corpse to the hospital. And to receive medical care from one of the best hospitals in the nation? When did she earn this honor? When she let Cobra Commander escape?

The room was suddenly stuffy, and Cat couldn't handle it. Slowly she removed the IV from her arm, and, using all the strength she could muster, she used her arms to swing herself to the wheelchair next to her bed. She was dripping in sweat and seeing spots by the time she settled as comfortable as possible in it, but she had succeeded.

Slowly she rolled to the elevators, ducking under the nurse's station and hitting the button to the fifth floor once she was inside. Tears were still rolling down her face as she nudged open the door to room 513, an isolated and single room at the end of the hallway.

The room was lit up gently by the lights on the heart monitor, and carefully and painfully Cat rolled herself over to the bedside. Reaching out a shaky hand, she grabbed Number Three's hand, laying her head down on the mattress next to it.

"I screwed up, Diego," Cat began to cry again, letting her tears soak into the sheets. "I screwed up, and I've got nothing to show for it. I'm sorry."

Just like all the other times she would visit him, Diego gave a slight twitch of the fingers, a gentle squeeze to signal he heard, but he never moved, nor did he wake up. Cat immediately felt better in his presence, however, and felt her eyelids begin to droop as her body fought exhaustion and pain. When she was still Number Four, she would flee to Diego's room some nights when the nightmares were too horrible to bear, and they would take turns keeping watch while the other slept. His presence, even while stunned and comatose, was still comforting.

Roadblock stepped onto Cat's floor the next morning amidst chaos and nurses running around. He wondered what was happening as he walked to Cat's room, only to find the sheets empty and thrown back, and a doctor standing there stunned.

"Where is she?" Roadblock's voice had an edge of panic to it as he entered. The doctor looked at him and, realizing this was the immediate contact for the patient due to how many times Roadblock had been there, quickly explained that she was missing.

"Missing?" Roadblock's voice raised even higher. "How is she missing? She is missing half her legs!"

"Sir, please calm down," one of the nurses tried, pulling out a seat for Roadblock to sit down in. He collapsed into it, running his hands over his head before pausing in the act.

"Did you check room 513?" He asked suddenly, remembering the file that Storm Shadow had produced. The nurses glanced at one another before leaving the room, calling another nurse to help them. Twenty minutes later they were wheeling a groggy and in pain Cat back into the room, hooking her back up to the IV and resettling her in bed and muttering about incident reports. One by one they cleared out, until it was just Roadblock and Cat.

It was silent, as Cat sighed and leaned back on her pillows, looking everywhere but Roadblock as her eyes began to swim with tears again. Conversely, Roadblock was staring at Cat, trying to pick his next words wisely while stemming his growing rage.

He decided on kicking a chair over to the bedside, sitting down in it, and resting his elbows on the mattress, all while tapping his foot vigorously. He didn't know where to begin. Should he apologize for bringing her into his war in the first place? Or should he scream at her for disobeying orders and causing her to loose her legs?

He looked up when Cat breathed out a shaky sigh, tears falling. "I'm sorry, Block. I screwed up real bad."

He was silent for several heartbeats before he too sighed and grabbed her hand tightly in his, squeezing. "We both did."

"Do you think it can be fixed?" Cat asked, broken. She was referring to so many things; finding Cobra Commander, getting revenge for his comrades, obtaining peace for her friends, her legs...

"I don't know, Cat." Roadblock rubbed his eyes, not wanting her to see the emotions swirling in them. "But I do know that we're gonna try our damn hardest. We're JOEs; and JOEs never surrender."

"You're a JOE." Cat corrected, reaching for a tissue. Roadblock held up a finger to stop her, however, and placed a velvet box on her table.

"It's there if you want it," He spoke, before telling Cat he had to leave and finalize some matters. Soon after, a nurse came in to give her a dose of pain medication, but that little velvet box was in Cat's thoughts until she dozed off into a dreamless and black sleep.


	11. Ten: Battle Cry

**This is the part that I am most excited to write, these upcoming three chapters. I hope you enjoy these little moments as much as I do. **

**Also, say hello to an old friend this chapter! :)**

* * *

><p>In time, her legs healed. Cat picked up the broken pieces of her mind and did her best to put herself back together again. She had to remind herself that she had been through much, much worse, and this time, she had people who could pull her through. They hadn't been taken from her, not yet, not like the others had been. In the back of her mind, every time she moved her legs now, however, she was reminded of how useless she now really was.<p>

Lady Jaye, Jinx, Flint and Roadblock visited her often, and she did appreciate their visits and constant concern. Even Storm Shadow had stopped by once, even though it was only fifteen minutes and he came in and out through the window. The visits she liked most however were Snake Eyes. The ninja always came in and leaned against the wall, nodding if Cat said "Hello," or remaining silent and respectful if she was having a break down. He answered her questions on notebook paper if asked, but most of the visits were spent in silence and thoughts.

Cat had been told by Roadblock that Snake had been the one to pull her from the ocean, and she while she still wasn't sure if she should be grateful for that, the ninja offered an air of protectiveness that allowed for Cat to not be on edge. On his visits she dropped her guard, and allowed her brain to meditate and zone into her own world while he watched out for her.

Today was one of those visits. Snake Eyes stood leaning against the wall, unmoving, while Cat just stared at the medal Roadblock had given her. An invitation, but for what? The healed nubs of her legs twitched under the covers, useless now. What possible use could she be to the JOEs now? And why would she ever want to jump back into that world?

"Ms. Blac?" Cat jumped at the sound of her name and snapped the velvet box shut, heart beating wildly. Snake Eyes had looked up at the interruption and was watching with interest, arms now uncrossed, and while he didn't have his katanas with him Cat knew he had weapons stashed somewhere on his person. The nurse smiled sheepishly and entered, with a shorter man following her. "You have a visitor."

The nurse left the room and Cat studied the man, her fingers tapping CIRIS under the covers of her bed. He was short for his size, and slightly bulky, but athletic, and he carried a backpack with him. What really caught her attention was when he greeted Snake Eyes and shook his hand.

"Ms. Blac," the man greeted, taking a seat next to her bed. "Snake Eyes has told me much about you."

The heart monitor began to beep faster as Cat got nervous. Snake Eyes left the wall and placed a hand on her shoulder. The man smiled at her. "My name is Breaker, and Roadblock asked me to help design you new legs."

She felt her heart drop to her stomach at this announcement, and all she could muster was a squeak. "W-what?"

"I started in the JOEs as their main hacker and code breaker," he began, clasping his hands together. "But before that, I dabbled in robotics and bioengineering at Drexel. Roadblock contacted me after the Fort Sumter incident about your condition and asked if I could help. I believe I can. My team has been working on new types of artificial limbs made specifically for running. We want to help."

Cat started at him, wide-eyed. "Are you saying that... I could run again?"

Breaker held up a hand. "In time and theory, yes. We need to design something to fit your line of work and get it made. That's the easy part. The hard part is all you; getting back to the level you were at beforehand will be difficult."

"But possible, right?" Cat was almost falling out of her bed in anticipation for his answer. Snake Eyes pulled her back slightly, worried she would roll off her bed.

"Possible," Breaker confirmed. He smiled and shook her hand, promising her that he would be in touch within the next few days, for measurements and her own ideas about what she would need in the limbs. Cat took the card, and thanked him again, before being stunned into silence.

Snake Eyes tapped her on the shoulder and wrote on his notepad, asking her if she was okay. With teary eyes, she nodded her head, sniffling.

"I'm just...shocked, Snake Eyes." She wiped at her eyes, blinking furiously to eliminate the water. "I was so useless in the fight, got myself mutilated, and you had to save my sorry ass, and now you guys are trying to help me? I don't understand."

Cat noticed Snake Eyes writing and took a deep breath. He stopped to listen to her continue. "When COBRA had me in custody, it was dog eat dog. If you couldn't fend for yourself, you died. When I escaped, I tried to suppress as much of their experiments and lessons that I could, but after being gone for ten or so years I found myself all alone. So I fended for myself, like I had been taught. When Stoop came asking for help, it was actually kind of...nice, in retrospect, to be apart of something better for once. But I became impulsive when I was trained not to be, and look where it got you all; Cobra Commander escaped, London decimated, and a cripple. You can see how it's hard for me to understand why you all would want to help the weak link in the fence."

The pen and paper he hand in his hands lowered, until he gently set it on the bedside table and walked out of the room. When he didn't come back after fifteen minutes, Cat sighed and gently rolled over, berating herself for stupidly thinking that he would respond when she just dropped a bomb on him like that. She gripped her phone under the sheets, resisting the urge to check CIRIS to see just where Snake Eyes had gone, and instead she glanced at the notebook. There was writing on it, and she grabbed it and read it carefully, more tears springing to her eyes. On his notepad, he had been writing all the things she had done for the team since they arrived in Washington D.C., being hunted and on the run. He was attempting to remind her of all she had done, and why she had been so important, and why she was still important. Setting the notepad down, her eyes caught the velvet box where the medal was stored, and she made her choice.

Outside her room, Snake Eyes smiled behind his mask and nodded to the nurse as he left.


	12. Eleven: The Space Between

**Hello all! Sorry for the long wait, college has restarted and I loose myself in my work all the time. Nursing is not easy! **

**Enjoy this chapter, and I will try to update as I can. Please stick with it and let me know what you think! **

* * *

><p>The first time Cat stood with her prototype legs, she had her two nurses on either side of her and only Breaker in the room, watching her. She didn't want anyone from the JOES there, not even Snake Eyes, to see her do this and possibly fail, which was why the meeting was scheduled after hours. Cat wanted to succeed herself. She had all the tools, now she just needed her willpower.<p>

Despite the sweat, she was soon standing by herself, the legs feeling ghostly familiar. The nurses helped her take a step, and then another, and Cat had never felt anything as exhilarating. This was rediscovering her freedom for a third time, and this time would be the charm.

A month later, after extensive therapy, Cat was released to the custody of the JOES, Roadblock in particular. He moved her into the base as a guest, as per the president, he had stated. Cat hadn't cared, but the underground facility did make her nerves act up. She still wasn't fully recovered yet, so that meant no traipsing outdoors, so she had been instructed.

Roadblock had thought the base would be good for Cat; it wouldn't leave her outside as she still recovered. He soon found that, while she made no complaints, he hardly ever saw her after the first month of her being there. She was never in her room when he went to check, was never seen at meals, and he couldn't find her about the base. It worried him.

He never found her because Cat didn't want to be found. Immediately she had found the plans of the base with CIRIS, downloading them onto her secure server and mostly using the vents, beams, and maintenance grates. It put strain on her still healing muscles, but she welcomed it. She had caused this, and she wasn't going to get better without work. And, to be honest, she was still ashamed of how she had acted during the battle; while Snake Eyes had assured her she had nothing to worry about with the JOES and their judgment, she still preferred to stay out of sight. This wasn't her home, this was theirs, and she still didn't feel any attachment.

Cat was already conditioning herself; the time she wasn't sneaking around, she was on the indoor track, running lightly even though the doctors had advised strongly against it. She knew better, however, and the only way to get used to her new legs was to push them. So she did, rebuilding all the lean muscle she had lost over the three months in the hospital.

Cat had been attempting some free running one night when she was sure that everyone had gone to sleep when she discovered the first flaw of her new legs. The foot part didn't have enough traction to get her up the wall. Her hands were already bleeding from scraping at the brick all for traction, and she was tired. Climbing this wall was not happening and she felt herself get frustrated. She could do this before, so why not now?!

Of course she knew the answer; she wasn't the same human, and she only had herself to thank for that. Before the tears could start, she pushed herself up and sprinted at the wall again, scratching at the ledge that was just out of reach before crashing, hard, to the ground.

"Great, just goddamn GREAT!" Cat yelled, pounding her fist against the floor. Tears pricked her vision but she got right back up, determined to make this run. Through blurry vision, she launched herself at the wall, her fingertips brushing the edge before she felt herself begin to loose momentum.

A gloved hand caught hers and held on, heaving her to the top of the ledge, and she looked into the mask of Snake Eyes, immediately feeling embarrassment. She hadn't even sought him out when she first got to base; all she was focused on was becoming better. He looked hard at her hands before looking at her, disappointment evident in his body language. Cat adverted her eyes, ripping her hands out of his in the process.

Snake Eyes knew why. Cat hadn't even approached him once since she had arrived on base, but he had seen her, heard her; sneaking through the vents, running at awful times of the night. She was trying to repair what was broken, he knew; but she was doing it for all he wrong reasons. She would only end up dead the next time she attempted to take on Cobra Commander again. She had promised, when she had gotten used to her legs, that she would take it easy.

They sat in silence, Cat wondering if she could escape and Snake Eyes waiting to see if she would talk. Her mouth opened and closed several times before she sighed, pulling her titanium legs close and impulsively scratching at it, like she had an actual itch. "I need to get back up to speed, Snake Eyes."

He handed her a notepad with the words 'In time' written on it. She huffed, looking at her bloody palms, and felt her cheeks redden. Obviously, this was evidence that she couldn't get to where she was without some sort of assistance. But she didn't want any; anyone who had ever helped her before had disappeared. But this was Snake Eyes, and Cat had seen what he could do; no doubt he could take care of himself. With the way she was going, she knew she was running downhill, but like always, she couldn't depend on anyone, lest COBRA found them.

She listened to her heartbeat before closing her eyes. Maybe, it was time to change.

A beat of silence occurred before she felt CIRIS beep curiously from her pocket, wondering about her increasing temperature. Cat tucked a loose strand behind her ear and cleared her throat before looking directly at Snake Eyes with courage she didn't know she had. "I need your help. I know... I know you already have done so much for me, and I hate asking, but... I need help. Your help."

He stared at Cat quietly, impressed she had enough confidence and trust in him to ask this major favor. He motioned for the notepad back and jotted down a quick 'Why me?' before handing it back.

Cat scratched at her palms, irritating them more, feeling her confidence waning. "Well, you've seen me in action and know my style, and I just don't think anyone else could keep up with me, even in this state. So," she bit her lip and wrung her hands together, but remade eye contact. "Will you help me?"


	13. Twelve: Jackpot

**Wow! So many favorite and follows, thank you all! **

**I hope you enjoy it; I will try to update as soon as I am able, but school makes that difficult. **

* * *

><p>Snake Eyes's plan began with Cat meeting with Breaker once again, explaining the design flaws about her new legs. She was certain he would be upset with her for bringing them up, but she was shocked when he thanked her for her input and wrote down the notes, as well as taking new measurements. She had to remind herself that he was listening to her because she had information, just like all the other jobs she ever completed.<p>

Still, it was nice.

"You're not mad?" Cat asked, shifting nervously. Snake Eye's presence behind her was only slightly reassuring.

"Mad? Cat, you're our prototype. And every prototype is bound to have flaws. That's why we work through the flaws," Breaker smiled at her then, and Cat felt her stomach settle. His words had sunk in with her. She had been a COBRA prototype, and she sure as hell had her flaws, but she was working toward improvement. No, she thought again, staring at the wall as Breaker tinkered with something else on her legs; working to be the best she could be.

Snake Eyes kept Cat on a strict regimen until Breaker could make the adjustments to her legs. The ninja could see that she still was not healed properly from the way she hunched her shoulders and she guarded her legs; she always kept one behind the other if standing or would tuck them underneath her body if sitting. Knowing that completely stopping her from running would only push her to try something more dangerous, he kept her to a strict three day per week running regimen on the inside track. Until her new legs were made, she wasn't allowed to free run either. The time she wasn't conditioning, Snake Eyes had her deliver interbase mail to all the departments of the JOES. It kept her moving, kept her busy, and gave her the chance to meet new people.

Cat didn't like meeting new people. New people meant new connections and new connections meant more people in danger. She much preferred the vents and maintenance halls to social interaction, but she knew if she disappeared for anything other than sleep, she would be found by her ninja friend.

But she couldn't help it; the more the JOES on base heard of her and her apparent awards from the government (they were news to her as well), the more they wanted to know about her. Cat was pleasant to all but kept them at arms length, in case she needed to drop them for their protection.

The only ones she truly spent time with, other than dropping off mail and a quick pleasantry, was Alpha squad. They all welcomed her warmly as she entered their lounge, and Cat would always give a fleeting smile before finding the tallest ledge and scrambling up, sharp eyes observing all. If Snake Eyes was in the room, she would find a corner where she could scan the entire room, and with that, she only felt slightly uneasy.

It was an improvement, Snake Eyes decided.

It was two months until Cat received her improved legs, and this time, she could climb the walls without issue. She thanked Breaker immensely for the gift again, but her merely waved her off and told her to make sure to fill out the questionnaire he sent her via email about the improvements.

Once Snake Eyes deemed her fit enough, she began to return to her own regiment of running and free running. She wasn't allowed outside the base, as she had been labeled a "high value target", but the base provided enough space for her to stretch her legs, even if it got slightly mundane. Snake Eyes added combat training to her schedule, wanting her to at least be able to use the stance she had mimicked against Cobra Commander.

Snake Eyes had been kicking her metal appendages into the proper stance when CIRIS bleeped without warning, activating the HUD in her eyes. She had it set to report international issues, such as government documents going missing, high stake thefts and fast, fleeing suspects. Malaysia was releasing an internal report that a super secret document pertaining to a new prototype medical device had gone astray. The files were too encrypted for Cat to get at them via CIRIS and find out what the documents stolen had contained, but she had to let someone know.

The report being filed said no signs of forced entry were present, but the documents were definitely missing, as well as a computer hard drive and several USBs. Cat smelled a snake as she read through the report. The surveillance she observed had been looped; she could tell by the time stamp in the corner not moving properly. Still, it resumed after only a minute and a half, with nothing visibly astray. Cat rewatched the footage, looking for possible entries and exits. On her second playback, with CIRIS's help, she noticed that the large, full length portrait sitting behind the office desk was off and tilted to the side. She brought up the schematics to the building and sure enough, there was an emergency, "secret" route that led in and out of the office. Cat licked her lips nervously as CIRIS worked to contain her rising heart rate and respirations. This was so reminiscent of her many heists under the influence of COBRA that she had little doubt that this was the famed, new Number Seven putting his enhanced physical status to use.

"Snake Eyes," she hummed, and he looked at her, once again curious about the lights dancing across her eyes. He had learned a great deal about Cat in her time here simply by observation, but she still held many secrets close to heart. She licked her lips and waved her hand at the smartphone, projecting holograms of data into the air. "We may have an issue."

She brought up the report on her phone and showed it to the ninja. He read it and looked at her, coming to the same conclusion she had. They nodded at one another, calling the training session to an end before both of them quickly left the room, Cat right on his heels. Heading towards the central command, where they were sure to find Roadblock, intent on letting him know that the Commander had reared his head again, with his lucky Number Seven the only possible lead they had.


	14. Thirteen: VIPER

**One of my resolutions is to finish this story. **

**Seriously. **

**Enjoy! **

* * *

><p>Snake Eyes strode into the command hub, Cat right on his heels and sticking close. This was a new environment for her; she hadn't been granted clearance to enter yet, but she supposed with what information she knew it was now within her ability. Trailing behind the ninja she observed the room and calmly activated CIRIS, which then proceeded to scan the room, find her exits and the fastest escape routes, in case she needed them. She was already beginning to feel the room press in on her, and for the umpteenth time that month she wished she could be outside under the blue sky. All these eyes on her and she felt her breathing begin to become rapid.<p>

For her benefit, she kept her eyes on the vitals displayed in the HUD that CIRIS was providing. They weren't hers, however; CIRIS had brought up Snake Eyes and his heart rate, and Cat watched the EKG line bleep over and over again to keep her anxiety from surfacing. Up and down the line went, and she knew that the people in the room were staring at her funny because her eyes were following nothing that they could see, but she didn't care. Her heart rate was slowing to match Snake Eyes's own. With it, her anxiety was disappearing and the room was not closing in on her.

"Snake Eyes, what can I help you with?" Roadblock rumbled from upon the catwalk, nodding at Cat. He was still slightly miffed at her for attempting to take down Cobra Commander by herself, but with her becoming more social with the soldiers of the base, it was difficult for him to maintain a stone cold face around her.

Snake Eyes took the stairs two at a time, connecting Cat's phone with the interface system. Quickly, mentally, she activated encryptions that would only allow them to see the information they needed. CIRIS bleeped quietly in response, carrying out the orders subtly, and Cat continued to watch Snake Eyes's heart rate for a semblance of peace.

Roadblock analyzed the evidence that scrolled across the screen with a tense face; he was just as eager to get his hands on Cobra Commander as Cat was. To his trained eyes, there was evidence, enough for the JOES to at least take a look at it. But the evidence was coming from Cat, a girl the higher ups had deemed to be a "person of interest."

"Snake Eyes," Roadblock cautioned, keeping his face as smooth as possible, moving away from Cat's inquisitive gaze. "I know you want to catch him as much as I want to, but I can't go to the higher ups with this little information. I need more in order to investigate, you know that."

Snake Eyes signed quickly, trying to defend their case, while Cat trotted up the catwalk stairs. She cautiously took her phone off the system and disconnected it, and it went unnoticed by the two Alpha team members. Snake Eyes was still desperately signing to Roadblock and the Alpha commander was shaking his head.

Just as she was about to sneak back down the catwalk and out of the room in general, Snake Eyes's hand snapped back and gently but firmly caught Cat's wrist, preventing her from going anywhere. Anxiety spiked and she felt everyone's eyes on her as she twisted feebly. The aura exuding from the ninja suggested that he knew exactly what she was going to do, and was not pleased. Panicked from the eyes and anxiety and the trapped feeling, Cat's breathing spiked, and she tugged more forcibly on Snake Eye's unmovable arm.

"I have to get out," she wheezed, stomping her metal foot. "Please, please, please..."

Sensing her panic, Snake let her go and held his hands up and backed way. Before Roadblock could make to grab at her, she leaped down the stairs and bolted out the door, past camouflage uniforms and mail carriers, down a side hallway as CIRIS directed her. She skidded into the wall and slid downwards, trying to take deep breaths to calm down.

She succeeded after only a half hour, CIRIS assisting with returning her bodily functions to normal. She also activated her elevated logical thinking processes, and she stood up and began walking to her room on autopilot as she thought about the information they had unearthed. Why wouldn't Roadblock agree to a recon mission, at the very least?

Hacking into the camera of the intel room, she listened in as she turned down her hallway to her room.

"I see your point, Snake Eyes, I really do, but the higher ups won't authorize a mission that can have anything to do with Cat right now. They don't trust her, I told you this. That's why you were assigned to be her mentor," Roadblock ran a hand over his bald head as Cat's hand froze on the handle of her door. Snake Eyes hadn't wanted to help her, he had been forced. She understood now; why else would a top ranked ninja take on a handicapped science experiment? "You need to keep her put, figure out just what is going on inside her head. You've seen the weird shit in her eyes that happens when she zones out. The sooner we figure out just what the experiments did to her mental state, the better for all of us."

It felt like the wind was knocked out of her chest. So much for family; if Roadblock was behind this plan, then no doubt that the rest of Alpha knew as well. No wonder why they kept her in a basic level job; she didn't learn any secrets, and by socializing she met more people that could serve to keep an extra pair of eyes on her. And just what did they want to find out about her? Surely they didn't want to use this technology on someone else?

Unwarranted memories sprung back up, of times from when she was in Cobra Commander's forces and it was extraction day. It was a special technique to extract the information. Chelation of the data storing nanites had to occur within the blood-brain barrier, because Cat's brain, at the time, had been so dependent on the advanced systems the nanites provided to her that they didn't travel past the barrier once entered into it. Roughly ten needles had to be used, stuck in at different parts of her body. While the blood was being drawn from the brain, more was put in through the femoral artery and carotid artery, so that new nanites would have a vehicle cell into the brain. It was painful, it was dangerous, and Cat often had nightmares about the chair they used to strap her down and the size of the needles they used.

CIRIS ticked furiously, countering the heightened levels of cortisone and adrenaline which had just flooded her body. Cat couldn't keep up with her whirring thoughts; CIRIS was loosing control, the stress was causing more of COBRA's activator to expand, and the pale blue HUD of CIRIS she had come to know was swirling into the vibrant, angry yellow of the VIPER system.

Cat stood up straight, popping her joints as the once forgotten cold rush of the VIPER system flooded her veins. Across the vibrant yellow HUD in her eyes, a breezy phrase flashed across the screen.

_Welcome back, Number Four._


	15. Fourteen: The Parting Glass

**Phew! This is late coming! **

**Now introducing Cat's other affiliation, the Pack. **

**I have an idea where I am going now, and my semester isn't as stressful, but I do like feedback. Let me know what you guys think! **

* * *

><p>Getting out of the base was the easy part. VIPER guided her through the most efficient routes via the vents, and when she hit the grate leading outside it had her wait five minutes and two-point-three seconds before launching open the grate with a kick from her legs. It fell to the ground with a clang and Cat slithered out, landing in a crouch.<p>

It was a long sprint across the yard, and as she hit the guarded gate, Cat punched a button on her phone. In seconds, VIPER blacked out the entire base, and warning alarms went up everywhere. Cat crouched behind some cargo as the guards ran to assist, and as if it was a walk in the park, Cat walked out the front gates.

_Oh, making a statement, Number Four?_ VIPER flashed across her HUD. _Risque. I'm impressed._

VIPER was always an annoying AI. Even when it had full control over Cat, it had always had a sarcastic undertone when giving instructions. Rolling her eyes, Cat started at an easy jog, away from the base and moving across the desert. It was cool, the stars were out, and for the first time, Cat felt free. Free from the constraint of that base, and free to be her own agent again. She could hunt down leads to Number Seven.

Before she did that, however, she needed to find and come in contact with Jaguar and the rest of his pack.

He was the one who had found her in Siberia all those years ago, running on fumes, but terrified and constantly looking over her shoulder. He had taken her in immediately, recognizing COBRA's handiwork, and gave her CIRIS. He was her informant when she was a freelancer, and she was sure nothing had changed. He was a whiz on the internet, and no doubt he had already hacked COBRA to stay one step ahead of them.

The JOEs weren't the only ones with a bone to pick with the Commander.

Cat turned and began to head north, towards Las Vegas. Slowly but surely her levels returned to normal, and as they did, her HUD flashed between blue and gold, before she finally gave a mental shove to VIPER to get out of her head and CIRIS bleeped back to life. It continuously beeped, analyzing her as it restarted, and Cat allowed it to do so; it would be able to detect if VIPER had been able to return info to COBRA.

She followed the map to Las Vegas at a quicker pace now, feet landing in sync and CIRIS watching out for snags in the path it had picked for her. It finished its scan and verified that information was still secure, before flipping to her vitals on the HUD and helping to regulate her breathing a little bit better. Her respiratory system was still feeling the after effect of the betrayal, but CIRIS was quickly fixing that. Now all Cat felt was a grim determination. She was on her own, once again. She'd be labeled a traitor, excommunicated from the JOEs, and probably hunted down just as much as Number Seven was being now.

Oh well.

She did feel a pang of guilt as she thought of Snake Eyes, who had put so much time and effort into her. But she was a broken human, or robot, or whatever the hell she was at this point, and the first rule in investing is to make sure it works. Now, at least she wouldn't bother him with her constant stabs of pain in her legs and the uncertainty of her actions. And he wouldn't have to babysit anymore either. Cat spat at that thought. Nothing more than an observation piece, she deduced; try to figure out was going on inside her head, ha! And once they did, would they destroy her out of fear, or would they try to harness the power for their own benefit? Cat was not sure.

There was no uncertainty now, however. She would take down Seven or die trying, take the technology with her.

Cat wasn't afraid of either option.

Once she hit cell phone service, she gave CIRIS the mental command to call Jaguar. After rerouting it several times and encrypting it eighteen more, there was a click as the receiver was picked up.

"Panther," a distorted male voice purred over the airwaves. "Long time no talk."

"Hey Jag," Cat slid down a dirt slope, jumping some rocks. "I got a possible target you might be interested in."

"Lucky Number Seven? I knew you'd call about him." Cat heard the wheelie chair squeak. "How are those new legs doing, by the way?"

"Not the time, nor place, Jaguar. You still holed up at the Treehouse?" She asked, flipping over some pricker bushed. On the horizon she could see lights.

"You know it, Panth." There was typing on the other end. "Booked you a plane ticket at Las Vegas International. See you when you get here. Stay sharp."

There was a click, and CIRIS let her know that the call was ended; moments later however, she received the flight information from Jaguar. Cat hit dusty earth and pounded forward, toward Las Vegas and her target.


	16. Fifteen: Fly Over State

**I think we'll follow Snake Eyes next, then back to Cat and her Pack. **

**Maybe, lol. **

**R and R please!**

* * *

><p>She purchased a red "I Heart Las Vegas" cap on her way through the airport and a black nondescript sweatshirt when she reached the security gates. CIRIS took care of the metal detectors for her, overriding their systems so they would not beep due to her legs. That was a conversation Cat wanted to withhold.<p>

Shoving the cap on her head, she flashed the ticket at the stewardess and proceeded onto the plane, taking her window seat slowly, eyeing the cabin as she did so. CIRIS couldn't pick up any suspicious people yet, but it proceeded to background checks on everyone who entered the plane just in case.

When the engine began to rumble to life, Cat turned to look out the window as they proceeded down the runway. As the front wheels lifted off, Cat began to relax, knowing the flight to Ontario would be a long one.

To keep her attention, she had CIRIS hack back into the base's security cameras, and she watched with rapt attention. They were still attempting to figure out the power outage, from what Cat could discern. How sad; she had VIPER pull the power by simply shorting out a common wire. From the extent of the damage, however, it seemed like the soldiers thought it was something much more serious. Cat rolled her eyes. Best of the best, she supposed, jumped to extreme conclusions.

She switched to the camera that guarded her hall and was almost shocked to see her door ajar. Almost. Carefully, she maneuvered her attention to her laptop and activated the webcam so she could observe.

Inside was Snake Eyes and Roadblock, scouring her room for probably a hint of where she had gone. Roadblock was running his hands over his head, and Snake was standing stock still, arms crossed. Oh, was he mad; Cat felt her stomach twinge painfully. Despite his orders, he had treated her with nothing but respect. Did respect really matter, however, when it was for an ulterior motive?

She would have to think on that one.

Activating the microphone, she listened in on Roadblock.

"Gone! She's goddamn gone, Snake! How could this happen?" Roadblock kicked the corner of her bed, shaking the frame. "We're family! Why would she do this?"

A few quick signs from Snake was his answer and, while Cat didn't know them, Roadblock did. "Hey, don't you dare blame this on me. Of course I respect her, I-"

More signs. Furious signs, Cat could tell by how his fingers and hands snapped around viciously. Roadblock watched them and then sighed, collapsing on the bed.

"Yeah. Yeah, I guess you're right." He sighed. Cat felt her heart twinge, just a little. While he may have been a complete ass, Roadblock was still family. And here she was, leaving her only family behind.

It was for a good reason, though. Seven needed to be eliminated; this technology should not even exist. The nanites are gruesome and deadly, inebriating to all who come in contact with them. The fact that COBRA had proceeded with their plans despite all the failures showed just how evil they truly were.

"Where could she have gone? We have nothing to go on, it's like she's a ghost. I suppose she is..." Roadblock stood, back facing the laptop.

Cat hesitated, thinking, before she instructed CIRIS to type out a message on the black laptop screen. It would be the only clue she would give them; if they truly were the world's best soldiers, they should be able to keep up with her.

Roadblock and Snake turned toward her laptop as it beeped, and Snake realized with a lump in his stomach that the light for the camera was on; someone had been listening the whole time. The fan whirred to life on the laptop and in white print on a black screen, a message typed itself out.

_Getting help, since you won't._

Snake whipped his head at Roadblock and gestured at the laptop, indicating that he held him fully responsible for this. The first message vanished and was replaced by another:

_Catch me if you can_

_50.0000, 85.0000_

Finally, the screen flashed and ended with the image of a red baseball cap with a design on the front. Snake snatched the laptop and strode out of the room, taking it to IT. He dropped it off to be analyzed before he walked into the Alpha squad lounge. Lady Jaye and Flint looked up immediately.

"Did you find her?" Lady Jaye asked, voice anxious and strained. She was worried for Cat, that much was obvious.

Snake signed to her. She left us a clue. IT is checking it out, see if they can get anything else off the laptop.

Flint spoke up. "Does the general know?"

Snake shook his head, and immediately, the other two JOEs stood up. Silently they fell in behind Snake Eyes as the three of them walked to the general's office, backs square and determined. They were trained to never let a JOE behind. In a way, they all had, by lying to to Cat and using their friendship as a way to keep tabs on her. All by orders of Washington.

This time though, they wouldn't fail her. Hell, they had been denounced traitors once; what was a second time?


	17. Sixteen: Another Life

***making a scheming face***

**All I can say is that I had a revelation in the shower and this happened. Sorry, not sorry. **

**R and R! Thanks guys!**

* * *

><p>Cat had left her ball cap on a street pole, hanging it off the correct way that someone could follow her, if they chose to do so. She had done it in the middle of the night, when the streets of Ontario were quiet, and after she had checked out of her hotel room. No one saw her scale the pole to drop her hat onto the sign, landing lithely onto the pavement below. Once again, she was amazed at her new legs; she didn't even feel the impact of hitting the tarmac.<p>

She huffed out and watched her breath spiral into the air, eyeing the cap with content. This was the last clue she would give them; any more and Jaguar would beat her for giving away his location. She turned southeast and began to run, setting a moderate pace. CIRIS bleeped quietly in her HUD, monitoring her process and alerting her to possible faults in the path, such as roots and rocks that she may not see in the darkness. It felt good to run again, after being cramped in a tight plane for hours.

She counted the number of rock faces she passed, and on the seventh she bounded up onto it, effectively off the beaten path. It was a while before she reached Jaguar's tree, however, but if you knew where it was it was hard to miss. Jaguar had established the Pack's headquarters in the rafters of an old sequoia tree, hidden by the pine needles somewhat but easily seen if anyone looked up.

Cat felt a tug at her heartstrings as she looked up; this had been her home for a good many years, as she rested from COBRA and gained her training from the Pack's operatives. It had been her safe haven as she sorted through the nightmares, deciphering what was reality and what was the nanites. She ran her hands gingerly over the claw marking on the bark, smiling softly before she jumped to the lowest branch and began to climb up, anticipation building in her belly.

That was quenched when Cat saw who was waiting for her. Of all the agents, it had to be her. Sabor, or Leopard while in the field, was stretched out on the railing casually, picking at her nails. Her eyes flicked up to Cat and Cat involuntarily shivered. Her gold eyes were particularly unnerving, and they saw right though Cat as she slunk over the railing. Sabor moved with a lithe grace and a deadly gait, and CIRIS picked up each of her movements immediately, running statistics on her and cautioning Cat. She had been a COBRA assassin until she decided to take a personal leave. Rumor was that she took out 100 soldiers and even incapacitated Storm Shadow and Firefly as she walked out into the Siberian winter.

"Well!" Sabor placed a dramatic hand over her heart, licking her lips. "Bless my heart. Panther is home. I missed you, little one."

A lie, one which CIRIS picked up immediately, but Cat let it slide and instead nodded at Sabor. "The feeling is mutual. Are you here to take me to Jaguar?"

"Naturally," Sabor purred, and she motioned with a long-nailed hand across a rope bridge. Nothing had changed from the last time Cat had been here, but she let Sabor lead her anyway, so she felt in control and powerful, two things that Sabor cared for more than anything.

Down a hallway framed by branches they went, and down further into the sequoia. Jaguar set up shop in the hollowed out base of the tree, where he could siphon power off from lines from the city. It had taken quite a bit of digging to get to the lines, but it was worth it in the end. The base was secure and couldn't be traced.

They entered into the tech room and a wave of memories hit Cat; just like always, there was Jaguar, typing furiously in front of six of so computers. He didn't look up as they entered, merely handed a folder to Sabor, who thumbed it casually.

"Oh, a senator this time? My, COBRA is certainly good at finding new lackeys," Sabor sniffed disdainfully, stashing the folder under her arm. "Perhaps we should start a petition to call them HYDRA, hm, Jaguar? Every time I or Bengal take one out, pop! Another one shows up."

He didn't respond, but the typing of the keys got consistently louder. Sabor grinned slyly. "I'll take it as a yes. You'd sign it, wouldn't you Panther?"

"I'd be the first," Cat affirmed as the gold of Sabor's eyes cut through her, challenging. Cat adverted her gaze almost immediately and Sabor smiled wickedly.

"I'm off then. Have fun tracking the lucky number, Panther." And she was gone, stalking around the corner and up the stairs.

It was silent, and Cat waited for Jaguar to finish up. Calmly she ran diagnostics on CIRIS, triple checking that VIPER hadn't done any damage. After about a half hour, Jaguar straightened in his seat and stood, coming over to Cat.

"I wish we had more time to catch up, but you'll need to move fast to catch this Runner Seven," Jaguar tugged a folder out from under a stack that was colored black; Cat's color. He handed it to her and pulled up the information on his own screens. He made sure Cat was ready before beginning.

"The footage of the heist is actually poorly edited. Or, well, in COBRA's case, poorly deleted." He threw up the image of the office where the plans were stolen from, but this time the lapse of time was included. Cat had no doubt Jaguar had hacked the sensors to get the footage. This time though, Seven was in full view. He was young, maybe a few years older than Cat, with blue eyes and a military style cut for his light brown hair. Muscles were evident, but to Cat they didn't look like nanite muscles. A person could always tell the difference because nanite muscles almost always looked strained. These looked natural, almost as if he had them before COBRA got him. He was wearing a standard runner uniform, but at the collar of the short sleeves she could see scars; burn scars, she realized from their blotchy and uneven appearance. CIRIS took it all in, saving it for later.

Jaguar let her take him all in, giving her time. When she nodded at him to continue, he zoomed in on the face of the runner. "Naturally, I thought COBRA would try to make him a ghost, like all the others. But they didn't. And I should have realized it sooner when I first saw this man's face but now it just hits you like a ton of bricks, doesn't it, Panth?"

She felt bad, but honestly Cat didn't recognize the face. So she let out a feeble "um" and smiled bashfully at the incredulous look Jaguar gave her.

"Panther, that's Major Conrad Hauser, callsign "Duke." He was the leader of the JOES until his presumed death last year." Jaguar pulled up more files on the man, some newspaper articles, his obituary, the awards he received. The man was a national hero.

Cat gulped; this was bad. "So instead of a nobody, they use a somebody to steal all these plans. COBRA uses him to make it look like the US is spying and stealing from all these countries, especially since the JOES are supposed to stop terrorists, and this causes an international incident, especially because he's a well known face and not a ghost..."

Jaguar finished for her. "And allows COBRA to sweep in undetected and cause the next Fort Sumter. This is a large scale attack, Cat. Something I don't even think the JOES are prepared to handle."

Jaguar turned back to the screen. "We are in for the ride of our lives here."

Cat sighed and plopped into a rolley chair next to Jaguar. "Good thing it's not our first rodeo then. Give me everything you got, Jag. I'm taking Seven down before he takes the world down with him."


	18. Seventeen: Ghosts That We Knew

**Thanks so much for all the faves and follows! Review if you can!**

**Next chapter is a reunion and then a big fight and then maybe a scene with Snake and Cat? ;)**

* * *

><p>The plane ride to Canada was quiet, the JOES feeling the weight of Cat's move with each mile they flew. It was being considered as an act of treason once General Hawk had found out, and the fact she had fled the county was not helping her case. Everyone was quiet in the hangar, mulling over their orders. Cat was to be brought back alive, at any cost.<p>

But she wasn't a traitor, they all knew that.

Truth be told, Snake Eyes had the sinking feeling that they only wanted her for the technology she still possessed. Not the COBRA version, but whatever version combated it. Whoever could copy, replicate and improve COBRA tech was a person of interest to the United States. Since they couldn't find them, they would take the next best thing, and that was Cat.

Snake Eyes sighed inaudibly, closing his eyes behind his helm, stewing through his thoughts. Here was the age old conflict of honor versus duty; honor, to let Cat finish what she started, but duty to the JOES, to the country that accepted him and took him in. But, somewhere in the back of his nagging mind, he had a feeling that there was a duty to Cat as well; a dedication to her commitment and persistence, and to allow her to finish what she had started.

The plane hit turbulence and the squad thought nothing of it until the lights in the cabin flickered and the television monitors went dark. A second later they were replaced by the image of a roaring, spotted jaguar, with the word PACK underneath the image in bright letters. Immediately they were on their guard, Snake reaching for the katanas on his back, while Lady Jaye and Flint grabbed hidden pistols from under the seats.

"All of that is useless, I am not even on the plane." A robotic, disfigured voice spoke through the comms. It was neutral and monotone, giving nothing away. "Oh, and your backscans that you just tried, to see if you can track me? Pathetic.

"But I am not here to mock you. I have information, and I believe I owe you a favor for taking care of my operative, despite her not coming home in one piece." A picture of Cat lit up the screens, running god knows where. It wasn't her last known location however. "My name is Jaguar, and this is my operative Panther. You know her as both Cat and Panther."

The voice took a deep breath. "I believe you all know her story and her unwavering thirst for justice, or revenge, or...whatever. She came to me seeking a lead on the missing Malaysia equipment and I provided her with the information I have. I think you all should see it. Consider it a gift."

The screen fizzed to show Cat still, but also showed the video that they had recently just recovered. There was a collective gasp in the cabin; Lady Jaye's mouth fell open, and Roadblock shouted out and slammed the roof of the plane. Even Storm raised an eyebrow. Snake tried to keep his body impassive, but inside he was furious.

That was Duke that COBRA had made into yet another puppet.

"You may believe me or not, but right now your once commander is helping the COBRA Commander with some new, nefarious plot." The voice sounded bored. "Usually I wouldn't contact you about this—we'd just take him out ourselves, no sentiment, you see—but Panther asked me to let Roadblock know. She thinks Duke can still be saved. I know you would like to see him saved. Here is my deal. I hope you have a pen and paper.

"I will reroute this plane to the location I sent Cat; this is Duke's last known location. This gives you the opportunity to apprehend him, if you can. I still haven't been able to discover what COBRA did to him. In return to the Pack, you will have all charges against Panther dismissed as faulty. We prefer to relieve charges against our agents through legal means. If that is completed, I might be persuaded to take a look at Duke, if you apprehend him, and see if I can reverse what they did. I'll give you a minute to decide."

The screens flashed back to the big cat snarling, and the voice was silenced but still listening. Roadblock let out a curse and looked to Snake, who signed quickly his thoughts. Maybe he was a little too eager to get back to Cat, but if Roadblock noticed, he didn't comment on it. Lady Jaye piped up from the side.

"We owe it to Duke and Cat to at least try." She paused, before looking up at everyone. "And...Anna would like to know."

Flint nodded, swiping at his nose. Storm Shadow just rolled his eyes and splayed his hands. "Do what you want."

Roadblock crossed his arms and and set his jaw, glaring at the ceiling as he said, "Do it."

"Excellent. Please remember our deal. I would hate to send one of our other operatives after you." There was another pause. "Oh, and Storm Shadow, Sabor wants me to tell you hello."

The plane tipped to the left, redirecting, as the monitors went black and Storm Shadow's jaw muscle jumped a mile a minute.

It was silent until the plane righted itself and the lights flickered back on. Flint turned to Storm. "Sabor?"

Storm fixed him with a withering glare and simply closed his eyes as a pair of golden ones flashed through his mind. "Pray to your gods that you never meet that monster."


	19. Eighteen: Bad Blood

**Phew! So many words. But here is the next installment! My goal is to get this done before I go back to school. **

**I'm thinking a Snake Eyes chapter after this, and then maybe end around 25 chapters. **

**Let me know what you think! Enjoy! **

* * *

><p>The streets of Istanbul were packed with people, so much so that Cat was beginning to get a headache from the amount of information that CIRIS was processing. She began to only search for technological traces of this Duke character; nanites gave off particular frequencies, much different than the human brain. When she limited those search parameters, a clear trail became clear, and she set off towards her target.<p>

Up a brick wall she scrambled, ignoring the gasps of the passerby, and she took three large steps before vaulting up onto a stone roof. CIRIS was able to pick up more traces of Duke's nanites from the better vantage point, and Cat turned and headed east at a steady pace. She wasn't too far from the target. Leaping, she caught either side of a rug and slid down a clothesline onto another roof, and then scrambled up another wall.

Duke was right there, arms crossed and grinning. Cat skidded to a stop, eyeing him cautiously as CIRIS began to run scans. Duke's eyes were glowing yellow, a sure sign that he was infected with VIPER nanites.

"So you're Number Four? You're so...tiny. Not what I expected." A grin spread across his face, stretching the burn scars. He heaved a sigh and stretched his arms. "Well then, catch me if you can."

Then they were off, Duke sprinting over the rooftops and Cat right on his heels. She could catch him, no doubt. She was smaller and faster; the issue came when she initiated the fight. She hoped Snake Eye's training was enough.

Reaching out a hand, Cat tried to grab him but before she could, he winked and jumped into a crowded bazaar. First mistake, a beginner one at that; open spaces like rooftops were easier to maneuver, as crowds only hindered speed. CIRIS was locked on to his signal and she followed him from the rooftops, never loosing sight of him like he must have planned. When he burst out of the area and turned down an alleyway, she was hot on his heels on the roof above him, getting ready to tackle him.

But someone got him first; Cat felt her stomach drop when she eyed all the weaponry and flak vest they wore. Was it another military? The Malaysians? She had a goal to return Duke alive to Jaguar so that the nanites might be cured.

CIRIS beeped in recondition as the face became visible and Cat felt her pulse quicken. What in the world was Roadblock doing here?!

Her mind whirled with a ton of possibilities and finally settled on one. Only Jaguar would have the knowledge as to where she was going; he would block all other organizations from following her as it could endanger the Pack. No doubt he had alerted the team when they were on pursuit of her. The two in the alley began to scuffle, but CIRIS beeped quickly, alerting Cat to a familiar heat signature. Instinctively she dropped to the ground and avoided the arms reaching for her, backing up to the edge of the building.

"No no no no! You're not supposed to be here!" Cat cried, facing away from the ninja and looking at him wildly. "I have this, I can take care of it!"

Instead of him signing quickly, Snake Eyes simply crossed his arms, irritation and doubt clear in his stance. CIRIS was detecting his heart rate picking up too, as well as his breathing. Cat figured it was due to anger. Once again, CIRIS beeped to tell her that Duke had gotten free and was preparing to run. Yanking her phone off her shoulder harness, she pounded commands into it, hovering her thumb over the green send as she looked one last time at Snake. He was already moving towards her, one arm outstretched and reaching for her. Glancing over her shoulder, Duke was already moving away from Roadblock and avoiding Lady Jaye and Flint.

Snake caught her free hand and tugged her into a tight hold, his other arm wrapped around her shoulders and pulling her close. He let out a long sigh from behind his mask, the most noise she'd heard from him in all her time she had knew him. Cat had a feeling that was a rare occurrence. Her eyes widened, and with her brain on overdrive, the only thing she could muster out to say was an apology as her thumb slammed onto the 'Go' button. CIRIS took over and she shoved away from Snake Eyes and didn't look back as she jumped down after Duke.

CIRIS bleeped that Snake Eyes was indeed following her, but he was no match for her speed now; having been well nourished and repairs made at the Pack headquarters gave her the upper hand. She was right on Duke's tail as he rounded the corner and disappeared into a stainless kitchen. Cat froze, CIRIS analyzing the cook who was still inside. He gulped down a swallow as he looked at her, eye darting to a cupboard behind her.

Cat dove to the side right as a knife came down in her place, Duke twirling it in his hands once he realized he missed. The cook fled out the opposite door and Cat looked around for a weapon.

"Looks like you are out of options," Duke sneered, coming at her again. She grabbed a pot of boiling water from the stove and threw it in his face, causing him to scream and back up. Cat took the chance and, instructing CIRIS to block out pain receptors for her searing hand, grabbed a frying pan and smashed it clean over Duke's head. He flinched slightly and collapsed, but was quick to roll and snatch his previous knife. He was on his feet quickly and advancing again, Cat with only the frying pan to defend.

She blocked a stab and deflected the knife into a can of sauce, puncturing it. A quick uppercut with the pan while he was distracted and she snatched another knife off the table, stabbing him right through the hand in an attempt to slow him down. Duke's eyes flicked to the knife as he stepped back, and he simply, slowly pulled it out, eyes flashing when he grinned. "Thanks for giving me your weapon. American boys hate to lose, after all."

Cat rolled out of the way of an incoming slash and ran up the cupboard trying to land a kick to Duke's head. He dodged and slashed, catching her arm. She simply shut off more pain receptors and kicked back out, nailing him in the jaw this time with her legs. He fell back and groaned, and Cat quickly reached in her bag for the syringe Jaguar had given her. It was neutralizer; it would shut down the nervous system, nanites included, until they could transport him. Or so Jaguar said.

She was about to inject it into Duke's neck and finish this fight when CIRIS let out an alarm and Cat's head whipped around. There at the door was Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow, lurking. Storm Shadow's eyes narrowed and his fingers twitched. Snake Eyes held up his hands and approached slowly, but her eyes flipped back to Storm Shadow.

"No, wait-!" Cat tried, but was too late. Three shuriken embedded into her forearm and the syringe dropped and shattered. Snake Eyes whirled to look at his brother, gesturing furiously. Duke moved at the commotion and Cat whipped her head around only to receive a strong right hook to the face. Head whipping to the side, her world spun as she watched Duke crash through the window and escape, Storm Shadow running to look out the window.

"Damn it, I had it, you idiots! I HAD IT!" Cat screamed, angry tears blurring her already shifty vision.

"You had it?" Storm Shadow hissed, ignoring as Roadblock, Flint and Jaye arrived on scene. He pointed a finger at the smashed glass syringe. "What was that, to finish the job?"

"NO! It was to halt his nanites and get him to Jaguar who could help him! Help him!" Cat felt CIRIS's overdrive turn off and felt the blood start to drip out of her nose, but ignored it, simply spitting it out when it got into her mouth. Roadblock took a cautious step forward, stomach churning at how bloody his friend was. Flint was shifting uncomfortably, and Lady Jaye was trying to get to Cat and check her wounds.

"Stay the hell away from me, all of you!" Cat held up a hand, staggering to her feet. Storm let her shove him to the side but Snake Eyes wasn't as easily moved. When she went to move past him her gently but firmly grabbed her burnt hand, but Cat would have none of it.

"Let go of me," She snarled, yanking at her hand. Snake Eyes shook his head and signed slowly to her, but it only made Cat more furious. "I don't know what the fucking means! Let go of me!"

A slight pause, and then Snake gently let her hand fall. Cat didn't care; she snatched her hand back and began to stagger out of the room, ignoring the heavy gazes and called Jaguar.

"Seems like it went well, Panther," Jaguar's monotone came over CIRIS's system, but she could tell he was not pleased.

"Did you neglect to inform them that Duke needed to be blanked before we could move him to you?" Cat hissed, limping over to a ladder.

"I figured they were smart enough, but it seems my trust is misplaced. World's mightiest heroes. Bah." Jaguar sighed. "What's our next move, Panther?"

"I'm coming home." There was a heavy silence on the other end. "I come home, we regroup. We send myself and Sabor after Duke, contain and cure, then give him back to the JOES. They we operate as a unit again. No more government."

"I see." The hum of helicopter blades droned over the rooftop and Cat attached to the zipline dropping down. Bengal waved from the cockpit as he raised her up into the cabin. "A solid plan, just like the old days. In that case, you're back on the grid Panther."


	20. Nineteen: Bond

**I AM GOING TO FINISH THIS EVEN IF IT KILLS ME. **

**Enjoy guys! Leave a review and let me know what you think! **

* * *

><p>Three days later, Alpha squad received contact from the Pack again.<p>

They had all been in their lounge, sluggishly moving through activities. Once they had reported to the general, who had not been pleased with how the transaction had happened, they had retreated to their solitude, mulling over everything that happened.

Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes were particularly moody, with sharp movements and glares at one another. The entire room could feel the tension and it made the rest of Alpha on edge and ready to fight. It wasn't until the room flickered black and the PACK's logo appeared on the flat screen that their hostile attention was diverted.

"Hello, world's mightiest fools," Jaguar's voice was light and airy, ready to insult. "I figured you'd be interested in knowing we've caught your comrade and are detoxing him as we speak. No thanks to you."

The image flickered to show a still Duke, Sabor lurking by his side and monitoring the screens. Snake searched the screen for maybe two flashes of bright blue up in the rafters, but there were none. Cat was nowhere to be seen. Where was she? Was she alright? She had so much blood on her the last time he had seen her.

"He will be in control of his nanites within 72 hours, cross my heart," Jaguar drawled, the shadow on screen picking at his nails. "We shall return him then. I've sent coordinates to your commander. Pray he doesn't delete them."

The shadow leaned forward and they all could hear the hostility in the voice. "Let me make myself clear. If you get in the way of one of my operatives again after I have specifically told you to let us handle it, we will annihilate you. Yes, that is a threat."

"The next time you push my operative to the limit and send her back needing two blood transfusions, I will send Sabor to retrieve your own blood," Jaguar hissed, fingers drumming on the desk. "I hope we are clear."

It surprised the JOEs to hear Storm Shadow make the affirmative. On the screen, the could see a hint of a grin on the shadowed face.

"Good, it seems like you haven't forgotten what she can do, Storm," he was back to his normal monotone drawl then. "And, as much as Panther wanted to be here to say hello, she's busy running down leads on the COBRA secret base. If only you were so talented."

The transmission cut off and Snake Eyes stood stiffly, leaving the room briskly. The rest of Alpha Team watched him go, Lady Jaye sighing and Storm Shadow rolling his eyes.

"He cares too much for that science project," he sneered, and Roadblock moved before anyone could grab him. He pinned Storm Shadow against the wall, lifting him a good foot off the ground, and pressed on his windpipe.

"You watch your mouth," Roadblock hissed, pressing harder. Flint jumped out of his chair, pulling on Roadblock's arm to get him to let go. "She's the only one trying to help get rid of the Commander, and you worked with him for four years and what have you given us? Shit! You've given us shit!"

"Block, hey!" Flint cried, finally managing to shove him away. He pointed at the heaving Roadblock. "Take a walk, man."

Roadblock strode out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Storm Shadow huffed and sat back down on the couch, sneering at Lady Jaye when she asked if he was alright. He didn't reply, even though he slid a hand to his neck.

* * *

><p>Cat slunk into the detox room like she was about to be scolded. Heavy guilt weighed down in her stomach as she hoisted herself up onto the rafters, eying Duke from her perch. It sickened her that he had to live though what she had to; maybe even something worse, she didn't know. She pulled her lip between her teeth and watched.<p>

She'd dropped the intel she'd got about the base off with Jaguar, who had simply waved her off, busy. She hadn't minded, and instead went to check on Duke. While she was wary of the nanite super soldier who had almost killed her, she couldn't deny she was indeed worried about him.

"I know you're there." Cat almost fell off the ledge, and she flicked her eyes to Duke as he found her glowing blue eyes in the half light. His were a bright shade too, the nanites making them glow an iridescent green in the half light. Cat slowly unfurled herself from her perch and trotted over to him, head down.

"Sabor tells me you're-"

"I'm sorry!" Cat blurted, face heating up. CIRIS worked to fix her body's temp as she continued. "I'm so, so sorry they got you, and I couldn't stop them beforehand, and we couldn't fully detox you and now you're stuck like me and...and…"

Duke looked so startled he only started at her from the gurney, before he sighed and slowly got up. Cat hesitated in helping, not knowing him too well and if he would even want her help. But Duke got to the edge of the bed and clapped a hand on her shoulder, making her skin crawl. It wasn't unpleasant, just unexpected.

"Stop," he said firmly, looking her in the eye. She could see the HUD of his own system in his eyes, and she knew he was looking at hers as well. "I should be thanking you. You got me out of Zimbabwe, under COBRA's nose. And you still tried to save me after I...hurt you in Istanbul."

"Me and Sabor," Cat said softly, remembering the mission. "She did most of the work. And it's okay. You didn't know in Istanbul. I know, trust me."

"But you got me out," Duke stressed. "I'm so thankful. I remember everything they put me through, what I had to do… all the intel. I can use it to do good now. All thanks to you. Trust me, Panther, I owe you my life."

"But-" Cat tried, but Duke held up a hand.

"No buts." He sighed as he shifted, smiling carefully at Cat. "But I could use some help with this new system. It's called PAGAN, or something?"

"She won't be able to help you there, I'm afraid." The door slid open and Jaguar strode in, hands behind his back. "COBRA upped their nanite system, so I had to improve ours as well. You have a completely different system in place than Panther."

Jaguar scanned Duke's wrist and then handed him the phone. "Everything you need to know is on there. The manual, if you want to call it that. While Panther can't help you with the actual controlling of the nanites, she can show you how the device in your hands can be used as a tool. You'll get used to it, I promise. The important thing is we're returning you to your rightful owners in about five hours."

"You make me sound like a dog," Duke tried for a laugh, but Cat and Jaguar fixed him with a stare. His smile fell and he just looked between them. "What?"

"When, uh… when I was with the JOEs," Cat began, looking at Jaguar to make sure she was okay to continue. He nodded, eyes hidden by the glare of his glasses, but she knew he wasn't pleased. "We have reason to believe that they wanted my...assistance only for the technology I carried. My nanites. Granted, it wasn't Alpha team, but when it got around that I had been an experiment, well..."

"They want to duplicate Cat, and now you, on a worldwide scale," Jaguar finished. "And as their dog of the military, it is your duty to let them. For the greater good, and what not."

"They can't," Duke said firmly, jaw clenching so hard that the muscle jumped.

"They won't," Jaguar assured. "This new set of nanites has a contingency in which they will deactivate and dissolve upon removal from your body via whatever means. I've thought of 512 ways, I hope I've covered them all."

"Good," Duke said. "Thank you."

Jaguar inclined his head and began to pace. "We have a few stipulations for you, Major, in order to return you back to your squad."

Duke nodded. "Name them."

"Not one word of this location is to be breathed out to anyone, ever. If we are compromised, Sabor will hunt you down. You may reveal what you know to the JOEs but nothing of which you have heard here, or Sabor will hunt you down. And finally, I know you have met many members of the PACK, and many have assisted in bringing you back from the dead. Do not break their kindness by revealing them. They go through great lengths to maintain secrecy and if you leak any of their identities-"

"Sabor will hunt me down, I got it," he said. Jaguar gave a ghost of a smile.

"Good, you're not completely daft like the rest of your Alpha squad," he snipped, turning on his heel. "We're leaving in an hour. Oh, and Duke, I do help you remember the PACK's kindness if there is ever a time of need."

"Of course," he said, glancing to Cat who just looked away. "I owe you all."

"Good." Jaguar walked to the door, not looking back. "Welcome to the PACK, Wolf."

The door slid shut, and Duke gave Cat a very confused look. "Wolf?"

"It's um… your agent callsign," she gulped, looking at him through her lashes. "Like, I'm Panther, and then Bengal, and you've never met him but we have an agent named Hyena…"

"I see, so like Roadblock or Snake Eyes," he hummed, and Cat sucked in a breath. Duke noticed.

"Sorry, sore subject?" He apologized, looking at Cat.

"I just…" She choked on her words, wanting to confide in him, another one who had been through what she had and survived, this time. But she couldn't find the will in herself to do so. She squashed whatever she felt toward the ninja down like always and squeezed out. "Yeah. Sore subject."

Duke hummed, eyeing her knowingly before he was turning the phone over in his hands. He clicked it on and blinked at all the commands, and Cat couldn't help but to give a little smile. It was difficult managing all the functions of a nanite system for the first few months.

"Uh…" Duke blinked, swiping left and right on the phone. Cat watched, fighting with herself to not say something, but when Duke almost pressed the very familiar overdrive button she found herself speaking before she could stop.

"Don't!" She shouted, hands splayed in front of her. Duke jumped, juggling his phone in the air before looking at her quizzically. Cat adverted her gaze and shuffled her feet, wanting to run away. "That one sends you into overdrive."

"That's how you kept up with me in Istanbul," Duke recalled and he hastily removed his thumb from the button. "So that one is a no, then."

"Only for emergencies," Cat quipped. She wrung her hands behind her back before she cleared her throat and looked at Duke. "Um, I could, ah...show you how to use that, if...if you want."

Duke scooted over on the gurney to make room for Cat, patting the space next to him. Shyly she sat, maintaining space in case she needed to flee.

"Teach me all you know, Panther," Duke said, smiling at her, and Cat couldn't help but give him a small smile in return. She pulled out her phone and began to teach, running each by Duke. His nanite system was geared more toward fighting, while hers was towards espionage and tracking, but there were similar features.

After forty five minutes, Cat thought he had the hang of it, and they stood, Cat leading the way to the hangar. She nodded to Bengal, who was piloting the plane, and she turned to Duke.

"Um, good luck," she tried, cursing her voice when it came out squeaky and scared. She cleared her throat and tried again. "Let us...or, me, I guess, know if you need anything."

"I will," Duke said, turning his head when Sabor called his name. Quickly, Duke pulled Cat into a hug, and she froze, not used to such blatant contact. The last person who had hugged her like that had been Snake Eyes. A pang ran through her heart when she realized that.

"Thank you, Panther," Duke said sincerely, turning to go.

"W-wait!" She jumped and caught his sleeve, and he turned, eyebrow raised. Panther felt her face flush and she jumped about four feet away. "Um...just, will you let Snake know I'm okay? And that I'm sorry? I know that Jaguar said all that stuff today just to aggravate him. He can be a jerk sometimes, so… will you just let him know?"

Duke smiled softly and said, "I will."


	21. Twenty: Preservation

**Whew! A short chapter to tide you all over. The next one will be action packed and super great with reunions and such. Thanks for sticking with this story! it is coming to an end soon and I would like to know how you guys would like to see it ended. You guys are all awesome! **

* * *

><p>Roadblock held his breath when the unnamed aircraft descended, a PACK member leering from the cockpit at their tiny welcome group. The JOEs had only come, out into the middle of the Nevada Desert, because they hadn't wanted to give up more information as to where their base was. Not that Roadblock thought it truly mattered; this PACK wasn't something to be messed with. He had no doubts that they not only knew where the base was already, but could also shut it down if needed.<p>

His stomach was doing flips when the hatch opened, a lean figure leaning against the side and grinning ferally at them. Her eyes flew to Storm Shadow, who had begrudgingly tagged along, and she blew him a coy kiss. The ninja visibly recoiled at the gesture and growled, unsheathing his swords violently. Roadblock wondered just what this woman was capable of.

"Now Duke," Sabor purred, loud enough to be heard over the rotors. "Don't be a stranger."

Duke nodded to Sabor and thanked her, to which she just waved a sharp hand and shooed him off the craft. As soon as he stepped onto the sand the hatch closed, and all he caught was Sabor's wicked smile piercing through the dark interior before the hatch sealed and Bengal waving from the cockpit as he flew away.

"It's really...Oh my god." Duke turned his head to Flint, who had his mouth wide open and hands shaking. Lady Jaye had a hand over her mouth, tears in her eyes, and even Roadblock had glassy eyes.

The large captain spit out a smile and a watery laugh. "Good thing we're not in a kitchen. No knives for you to throw with your freaky new powers, man."

And Duke was crossing the sand, giving his second-in-command a hearty hug and then moving onto all of the JOEs, even Storm Shadow received a handshake. When he got to Snake Eyes, he stopped, not taking the outstretched hand. The ninja turned his head slightly in question.

"She says she's sorry," Duke said, watching through enhanced eyes the stiffening of his shoulders and twitch of his fingers. He continued, chin held high. "She apologizes. She's okay, and alive, and sorry."

Snake retracted his hand, and nodded slowly to Duke, who simply patted him on the shoulder. The ninja fell into his thoughts, distracted by his mind and feelings toward the scout. Worry was natural, yes; he had spent weeks training her, and watching over her. Even the protectiveness could be explained. But his sense, desire to be near her, to make sure she was alive… it was stronger than that he felt for his teammates, and it conflicted deeply within him.

He shook himself out of it when Duke said, "Well, I know where the base is. It was my residence for three years, after all. And I think that's where they will stick next, get the plans back and sabotage the machine COBRA's building."

Duke shrugged. "That's what I would do. If, you know, I was still a nanite flesh zombie."

The JOEs shared a look, before Flint called their aircraft over and Roadblock gave to order to move out. Duke set a course for the Pyrenees Mountains and strapped himself in next to Snake Eyes. After everything that happened, he wanted peace.

He could tell the ninja was anything but at peace, though, and Duke could guess why. He messed around with the HUD in his eyes while saying, "She really seemed to miss you, Snake."

Duke looked to the ceiling before hearing Roadblock calling his name, sighing and standing. He didn't want to leave the ninja on that note, but duty was calling. "I can only assume why she ran, and to be honest, you have to admit it was for good reason. You've seen what those nanites can do. And hers are not armed with a contingency. Self-preservation is her nature; a part of you should at least understand that."

Snake did understand that, in so many ways. It made things much more complicated. Could that trait be brought out of Cat, and diminished? Of course. The question was, would she allow that to happen? After all those years she'd been harmed and used?

The sudden thought of how little credit he actually gave to Cat struck Snake like a truck. She was so much stronger than he had realized. For what she had went through, mentally, she was still relatively intact. And all he had done was baby her, and coddle her when she had proved many times she was adept at making quick decisions and avoiding near misses. What she lacked in physical prowess her mental strength made up for it. And now, with this revelation of these nanites and overhearing from Duke just what they could do, she had probably known her body way better than the doctor who had treated her for her legs. He had never even considered her knowledge.

What a fool he had been.

"Do not agonize yourself over it, brother," Storm said, stopping next to him and noticing he had lost himself in his mind again. He must have overheard the conversation. The other ninja narrowed his eyes in thought before moving away. "You'll have a reunion soon, I imagine."

_Yes_, thought Snake, looking out over the Atlantic, _Soon enough_.


End file.
